It’s Bjorn again as Dane wins in Alps

THOMAS BJORN matched the lowest round of his European Tour career to grab a second successive victory in blistering fashion in Switzerland yesterday.

The 40-year-old Dane fired a nine-under-par 62 to turn a three-stroke deficit into a four-shot win over Martin Kaymer at the Omega European Masters, the first qualifying event for next year’s Ryder Cup.

Ireland’s Rory McIlroy closed with a 68 to finish joint third.

Bjorn had also been three behind with a round to go in last week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

There he was involved in a marathon five-man, five-hole play-off. This time he left the rest behind with a marvellous closing burst.

Kaymer missed a two-foot putt on the long 14th that would have taken him two in front — and how Bjorn made him pay.

He was almost in water with his approach on the same hole but birdied it to draw level, made another 10-footer for eagle on the next and then put the icing on the cake with two closing birdies.

After going five under for the last five holes, he said: “The way I finished was special and it’s been an amazing two weeks.

“I started hitting my wedges so well last week and kept it going.

“At the end you think nothing can go wrong. Golf seems easy sometimes and you have to remember that when you are not playing well.”

He has had a real roller coaster career, talking of “fighting demons” after he lost the 2003 British Open from three ahead with four to play and going through another low this summer following the death of his father.

But with a third win of the year — world number one Luke Donald is the only other player to do that — Bjorn is now back in the world’s top 30 and, of course, leads the Ryder Cup race.

Since he last played in the match nine years ago he has served as an assistant to Bernhard Langer in 2004 and Colin Montgomerie last year.

As chairman of the players’ committee he is seen as future captaincy material, but as for possibly making a return to the team in Chicago next September he said: “There’s a long, long way to go and with the talent we have it’s going to take a few more of these weeks.”

Kaymer’s early burst of two eagles and two birdies had put him out in front but the magic dried up and 10 straight pars on the way in ended his hopes.

Joint third were US Open champion McIlroy, South African Jaco Van Zyl and Welsh overnight leader Jamie Donaldson.

McIlroy was joint top after two opening birdies, but had to wait until the 14th for his next one and a 68 was never likely to be enough.

McIlroy, playing for the first time since he hurt his arm against a tree root in the US PGA Championship, said “It was a bittersweet week.

“Coming back off the injury I didn’t know what to expect. To get myself into contention was great and the arm felt 100% healthy, which is a huge positive.

“Even if I had played well I don’t know if I would have been able to catch Thomas.”