Bernd Wiesberger shot a 5-under-par 67, beating South African Ernie Els by a single stroke to win the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2013 on Sunday
ernd Wiesberger shot a 5-under-par 67, beating South African Ernie Els by a single stroke to win the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2013 on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Austrian shot a 15-under-par 273 at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event, staged at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, to win his second title in Asia.
'I was struggling in the beginning, having trouble off the tee, and couldn't get it going,' Wiesberger said. 'But after I birdied the eight and nine I got the momentum going.
Wiesberger, whose coach Philippe De Busschere is based in Indonesia, said that he triumphed despite some stumbles. 'I couldn't make all the putts but I was confident that my ball striking was good enough. I got an eagle on the 13th and another birdie on the 16th, which I'm very thankful for.'
He dedicated his victory to his late grandfather. 'It's really special today, because when I won in Korea last year my grandfather passed away the next day. It has been a year and I could feel his presence with me today. I would like to dedicate this win to him.'
British Open champion Els settled for second place after carding 68, while overnight leader Daisuke Kataoka of Japan slipped to third place with a round of 70 to finish at 275 and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand was three shots back in fourth after shooting 69.
Els, also known as the Big Easy, was phlegmatic. 'I played and fought hard. I wasn't quite at my best but I had a good time. I didn't hit my iron shots close enough, especially at the start. I was one over through five holes and had to battle back all the time. Bernd was the deserving winner.'
'A win would have been unbelievable, but second is not all that bad. This has given me something and it shows my game is going in the right direction. I'm starting to feel really good about my game,' Els, who is ranked 24th in the world, said.
Els also praised Kataoka. 'It was a great performance by Daisuke. He is a good and neat player. He hits the ball really straight with a good putter'.
Kataoka, who turned pro in 2007, showed a surprising performance on the third day of the tournament when he topped the leader board with a 6-under 66 for an overall 205.
'This is a very important week for me,' Katoka said. 'It showed that I can play with the top players. I hit some really good shots out there and I think I can repeat my performance in other events. If I can continue to keep up this consistency, then I think my first win will come very soon,' said the 24-year-old.
Bernd pocketed $135,000 for his first place finish, while Els bagged $82,500 and $47,250 went to Kataoka.
Results
273 - Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) (67-72-67-67)
274 - Ernie Els (South Afica) (68-70-68-68)
275 - Daisuke Kataoka (Japan) (70-69-66-70)
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