Juan Postigo Arce claimed his second victory of the season at the G4D Tour @ Volvo Scandinavian Mixed with a final hole chip-in to edge out World Number One on the WRG4D (World Ranking for Golfers with Disability) rankings Kipp Popert.
Postigo Arce produced a moment of magic at the right time following an enthralling final-round battle with Popert, which saw the lead change hands multiple times.
The Spaniard, who was born without much of his right leg and no knee, said it was ‘his time’ after he bounced back from a bogey at the 17th with a chip-in birdie at the last to win his second title of the year by one stroke.
“It was a great battle out there with Kipp as always,” said Postigo Arce. “We enjoy playing together every time, and this was my time. I played OK during the week and finally got it back home.
“It was some battle. This golf course offers you a lot of big mistakes you can go for, which we all did. We also had a few birdies both of us so the leaderboard went up and down, and then I finished with a chip in birdie that gave me the final lead which was amazing.”
Postigo Arce began the second round three shots clear of nearest challenger Popert, and looked steady from the start as he opened his account with a string of four straight pars.
But a tumultuous few holes derailed his initial momentum, making a bogey at the fifth and a triple at the eighth before adding a further bogey at the ninth to turn in 41. With Popert just two over for his own front-nine, the pair made the turn tied at the top.
A two-shot swing immediately incurred in favour of the Englishman at the 10th, with Popert making birdie and Postigo Arce only able to post a bogey at the same hole.
The pair traded birdies at the 12th, but then it was Popert’s turn to falter. Dropped shots at the 14th and 15th put him back to eight over par, and a well-timed Postigo Arce birdie at the 15th moved the Spaniard back ahead by one.
Yet the drama was far from over. A dropped shot at the 17th meant the pair were tied at the top with one hole to play, and when Postigo Arce missed the green with his approach to the last, things looked far from in his favour.
But that’s when he produced the winning moment, chipping in from short of the green to secure victory with a final birdie of the day.
“I hit a good drive on 18, and I had 84 metres into the pin,” he said. “I made a mistake with the club selection and I spun back the ball and went short, and I had a 15 or 20 metre chip.
“I hit it really clean. I have new wedges in the bag this week, so thank you Ping for the new wedges this week, and I could spin it and make it a good one.”
Postigo Arce’s victory came during an event that marked a significant first for the G4D Tour, hosting equal numbers of men and women in the field. Sweden’s Lia Rasmus was the highest-finishing female player, ending her week in a tie for third alongside Canadian Kurtis Barklay on ten under par.
It was also significant for him, as another brilliant result in a season that has seen him claim two of the five events staged on the G4D Tour this season, as well as a third-place finish behind Popert and winner Brendan Lawlor at the inaugural GD4 Open – who finished in fifth this week.
“It’s been great. Last year I played really well and couldn’t get any win. Then this year I won my first event in Abu Dhabi and now this one, so I’m really looking forward to the next few events. I hope I can keep up the good job and if not win I can stay up there on the leaderboard every week.”
The next event on the schedule will be the G4D Tour @ Betfred British Masters in two weeks time.
