Browne’s historic win in Kazakhstan

IRELAND’S Stephen Browne wrote his own piece of golfing history in Kazakhstan yesterday when he became the first winner of a professional golf tournament in the country’s history.

Browne capped a magnificent week at the Nurtau Golf Club with a final round three under 69 to take the title and the e40,000 prize by a stroke from a five strong group of players on 14 under that included his room-mate, Colm Moriarty.

Browne has brought his season back to life after spending the majority of the year on The European Tour where he struggled to find his best form after undergoing swing changes at the beginning of the year.

Browne compiled four sub 70 rounds to secure the second Challenge Tour win of his career, ahead of Moriarty, England’s Lee James, Steven Jeppesen of Sweden, Spain’s Carl Suneson and England’s Tom Whitehouse.

The 31 year old Dubliner is now 22nd on the Challenge Tour Rankings, having started the week in 110th place, and now has a great opportunity to retain his playing rights from The European Tour: “Some weeks you just great feeling and I think I did have one this week - there was a few feelings out there!

“I opened up with a 66. That makes a difference, to be in amongst it from the first day.

“I do seem to play better on adrenaline and I was playing on it all week. It’s beyond my dreams this week to be honest.

“I played 17 a little too conservatively and then thought that I was going to have to make a birdie on the last to win because I was expecting Lee James in the group behind me to make a birdie on the 17th.

“However, he didn’t and I was eventually the winner.

“I’m probably going to concentrate on the Challenge Tour now because that is my best chance at the moment of keeping my Tour card,” Browne said.

* Pat Lyons (Cork GC) won the Bank of Ireland sponsored Munster Mid Amateur Golf Championship (confined to players over 35) at Limerick on Saturday.