Levet gets fifth European Tour win

Golf Betting Lines

05/03/2009 - Girona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - France's Thomas Levet posted a four-under 68 on Sunday to get a two-stroke victory at the Spanish Open at the Stadium Course at PGA Golf Catalunya.

Levet finished at 18-under 270 for his fifth European Tour title. His last win came last year at the Open de Andalucia, but on Sunday, Levet hung through some tough times on the front nine to get the traditional treatment when a Frenchman wins on tour - a champagne bath.

But, as the bubbly was drenching him, Levet was thinking more of a national icon.

"When I won the tournament, I thought of Seve," said Levet of Spanish golf star Seve Ballesteros, who is battling brain cancer. "I dedicate it to you, Seve. He's having a hard time at the moment. He was one of my heroes as a kid."

Fabrizio Zanotti fired a seven-under 65 on Sunday to finish in second place at minus-16.

Last year's winner Peter Lawrie had a good showing in his title defense. He shot a three-under 69 and tied for third place with Thomas Bjorn, who carded a 66, at 14-under 274.

Levet began the final round with a two-shot lead, but that was erased quickly by his playing partner, Stuart Davis. The Englishman birdied his first two holes and Levet made bogey at No. 2 and that gave Davis a one-shot edge.

Both players birdied three, then Levet bogeyed the fourth to fall two back. He reclaimed a share of first when Davis landed in the water en route to a double-bogey at the fifth.

Levet didn't stayed tied in the lead for long. He rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt at six, a tap-in birdie at seven and a 25-footer for birdie at No. 8 to quickly grab a three-stroke cushion.

Zanotti closed the gap to two, but never got closer until later in the round. Levet reached the par-five 12th green in two, but hit a terrible eagle putt that left him with almost six feet for birdie. Levet stepped up and drained the birdie effort to get his three-stroke advantage back.

Zanotti got within two again after a seven-foot birdie putt at 13, but dropped a stroke with a bogey at 14. Levet drove against a tree at the 14th and pitched out instead of attempting a full shot that surely would've snapped the club and maybe injured his arm. Levet hit his third to 18 feet and two-putted for a bogey.

In the group ahead, Zanotti two-putted for birdie at the par-five 15th and that shrunk the margin to a single shot. Levet once again left a long eagle try short at the 15th, but sank a six-footer for birdie to take a two-shot lead into the final three holes.

At the par-four 17th, Levet knocked his approach almost 20 feet from the flagstick. He ran home the birdie putt to take an almost insurmountable lead on to the final hole.

Just in front, Zanotti managed a birdie at 18 to make it a two-shot difference. Levet hit his second on to the putting surface and two-putted for the two-shot victory.

"As long as I made pars and birdies, I knew I wasn't going to be touched today," said Levet. "At the end, I was concentrating on putting the ball on the fairway. One mistake on 14, that's all I did on the back nine. I was very, very pleased."

Charl Schwartzel shot a three-under 69 and took fifth at minus-10, followed by Rafael Cabrera-Bello (68) and Marcel Siem (70), who tied for sixth at nine- under 279.

Gregory Bourdy (66), David Horsey (66) and Jose Manuel Lara (71) finished knotted in eighth at minus-eight.

Davis struggled badly after the double-bogey at five. He tallied six bogeys, a double-bogey and a birdie the rest of the way for a six-over 78 and a shared 15th place at six-under 282.