So close – and Simon’s happy

Monday 9th June 2008, 11:49AM BST.

Simon WakefieldShropshire border golfer Simon Wakefield is still waiting for his first win on the European Tour – but he was delighted with his second place in the Bank Austria Open in Vienna.

Wakefield finished one shot behind India’s Jeev Milkha Singh’s 15-under-par total of 198 after he birdied three of the last four holes in a tournament reduced to three rounds due to weather.

“The game plan was to just go out and not doing anything stupid to take me out of the tournament early on,” admitted the 34-year-old who lives near Eccleshall.

“But then after the 12th I just changed gear, tried to be a bit more aggressive and it paid off.

“It’s fantastic. My season has not been sparkling so far but the last few weeks I could see some form there. With my wife Denise and little girl Lucy watching at home on TV I’m glad I put a good show on for them.

“Jeev won in China (in 2006) when I finished fourth, he always seems to beat me by a couple .

“But hopefully in the next few years I can get my revenge.”

Singh carded a closing 71 with 18 straight pars to claim the £170,000 first prize.

That emulated Nick Faldo’s feat in the final round of his Open Championship victory at Muirfield in 1987.



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