Aussie Scrivener's purple patch in vain in UAE golf
The 35-year-old Scrivener came from nowhere in the field to record 16 birdies over a remarkable blemish-free 39-hole stretch across three rounds from Friday until late on Sunday, as he eventually claimed fourth place at the Al Hamra course in the UAE.
It could have been even better for the man from Perth, whose purple patch was only ended on the penultimate hole on Sunday when he found the desert, then a greenside bunker, as he ran up the double bogey that effectively ruined his shot at a third-place finish.
"It felt very natural and very easy" 🤩Hear from the 2025 Ras Al Khaimah champion 🎙️#RAKGolfChamps pic.twitter.com/M77DWDwLFM
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 26, 2025
Still, Scrivener responded with a birdie at the last to finish with a laudable five-under 67 to go with his 65 on Saturday.
Scrivener's overall 14-under total of 274 was enough to earn him a substantial prize of 120,000 Euros ($A200,000) but it was still no match for the champion del Rey, who took his maiden European tour crown in hugely impressive fashion, shooting a third straight six-under 66 to win by four strokes.
World-ranked 308 - 31 places ahead of Scrivener - del Rey finished the week on 22 under to win on his 70th European tour start, a fact celebrated by his compatriots who ran on to the final green to douse him with water.
Like Scrivener, who reckoned he felt like a rejuvenated player this year after a break, del Rey was delighted at his own renaissance after a disappointing 2024 campaign.
"I got to a point last year where I just felt like I wasn't having that much fun on the golf course because for me, playing for 20th, 30th place wasn't that meaningful at that point," del Rey said.
"I just worked really hard since then, and I feel like I've played many years with a lot of friends that have won out here and I knew I could do it but it just wasn't showing up."
Del Rey didn't make a single bogey over the weekend, stretching his overnight two-stroke lead with three birdies in his first five holes and eventually comfortably holding off second-placed Marcus Armitage, who shot a 68 for an 18-under total.
Another Spaniard David Puig (65) finished third on what proved a disappointing final day for another Australian David Micheluzzi, whose 73 left him tied for 36th on six under.
Elvis Smylie, who missed the cut, is sixth in the European tour's season-long Race to Dubai order of merit as Briton Tyrrell Hatton still leads the way. Micheluzzi is 15th while Scrivener moves up into 20th place.
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