Aiken Dedicates Spanish Open Win to Ballesteros

May 9, 2011 - PRLog -- The 27-year-old South African closed with a two-under-par 70 for a 10-under-par 278 four-round total at El Prat that left him two strokes better than experienced Dane Anders Hansen (70).

"Seve was an inspiration to us all and we were all out there trying to win it for him," Aiken told reporters, referring to the ping g15 3 wood Spanish five-times major champion who died of brain  cancer on Saturday at the age of 54.

"No matter who had won today I think they would have wanted to dedicate the win to Seve," added Aiken after breaking his tour duck in his fourth full year.

The leader for the second and third rounds, Aiken was never headed as his faultless two-under-par front nine kept the field at bay. He then stayed cool when he made mistakes coming home, to finally prevail after third, fifth, sixth and seventh places this season and a runner-up finish last year. His playing partner Hansen, twice a winner of the European Tour's flagship PGA event at Wentworth, had been expected to ping forged irons be Aiken's chief threat.

However, the Dane stalled over the first eight holes with pars.

CAREER TITLE
After collecting the trophy and a prize of nearly $500,000, Aiken said he was proud to win the last career title that Ballesteros had claimed.

"To know my name is going on the trophy alongside Seve's is really special," he told Reuters.
Aiken was also inspired by the achievements of compatriots Charl Schwartzel, the recent U.S. Masters champion, and last year's British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen.

"They played great and it definitely spurs you on," said Aiken. "To follow Louis by first winning in Spain as he did last year, and then going on to win the British Open, would be extremely nice."
Local favourite and El Prat club member Pablo Larrazabal (71) was another player expected to run Aiken close but the Spaniard's double bogey on the fourth left him playing catch-up and he had to settle for a tie for ping anser irons for cheap third place, three strokes adrift of Aiken.

Rookie Briton Scott Jamieson (71), the first-round leader, shared third place after late birdies, but a closing bogey by last year's U.S. Open runner-up, Gregory Havret (70) relegated the Frenchman to a tie for fifth place, four behind Aiken.
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