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Oliver Wilson holds off Rory McIlroy at Dunhill Championship

 
Published Oct. 5, 2014

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Oliver Wilson held off Rory McIlroy to capture his first European Tour title with a one-shot victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday.

Wilson shot 2-under 70 in the final round on the Old Course at St. Andrews as McIlroy came up just short after a bogey on the 17th hole. Wilson finished at 17-under 271, with Northern Ireland's McIlroy (68) in a three-way tie for second with Richie Ramsay of Scotland and Tommy Fleetwood of England.

Wilson, 34, currently ranked 792nd in the world, had finished second nine times in his 227 previous tour events, but the Englishman lost his card two years ago and was competing this week on an invitation.

"It's all really hard to believe as I have dreamed of this moment many times in my career. I can't believe it," said Wilson, who started the day with a three-shot lead."

McIlroy started with double bogey, then made four straight birdies and picked up two more shots after the turn before putting from off the green and into the infamous Road Hole bunker at No. 17. At the first hole, his ball spun back off the green into the Swilcan Burn. "I feel I cost myself the tournament in the space of 20 yards at the front of the green at the first and over at the Road Hole bunker, with both not too far away from each other," he said. "They were the only two mistakes I made all day."

Ramsay had a two-shot lead after birdies at 14 and 15, then gave it back with bogeys on the next two to shoot 67. Fleetwood had a chance to force a playoff but missed a 6-foot putt at No. 18 to settle for 68.

LPGA: South Korea's Mirim Lee captured the second title of her rookie season, shooting 5-under 69 in the final round of the Reignwood Classic to win by two strokes in Beijing. Starting the day tied for third, Lee birdied three holes on the front nine and added two more on Nos. 16 and 18 to offset one bogey. She finished 15-under 277. Top-ranked Stacy Lewis (75) and Caroline Hedwall (73), the co-overnight leaders, fell short on a windy final day.