Nordea Masters 2015: Leaderboard Scores and Highlights from Sunday
Overnight leader Alex Noren kept his cool on the final day of the Nordea Masters, securing a four-shot victory in Malmo.
The Swede went round in 71 on Day 4, taking him to 12 under par for the tournament. Noren’s closest competitor was Soren Kjeldsen, who finished on eight under par.
Here’s how things finished up at the PGA Sweden National:
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| 1 | Alex Noren | -12 | 71 |
| 2 | Soren Kjeldsen | -8 | 71 |
| T3 | Alexander Levy | -6 | 71 |
| T3 | Sebastian Soderberg | -6 | 74 |
| T3 | Jens Dantorp | -6 | 74 |
| T3 | Maximilian Kieffer | -6 | 75 |
| T7 | Fabrizio Zanotti | -5 | 66 |
| T7 | Lee Slattery | -5 | 70 |
| T7 | Jonas Blixt | -5 | 70 |
| T7 | Bernd Ritthammer | -5 | 70 |
For the full leaderboard check out the European Tour's website.
Steady Noren Takes Comfortable Win
A sublime 67 pushed Noren to the top of the standings after three days, and he was there to be targeted on Sunday. But the blustery conditions that have engulfed this course during the competition were prevalent again, preventing any of the golfers going out in the afternoon from bagging an especially low score.
As noted here by the European Tour’s official Twitter account, the finest play on Sunday came from early starter Fabrizio Zanotti, who was in the clubhouse with a finishing score of five under for the tournament:
After putting himself back in contention with a solid 68 on Friday, world No. 4 Henrik Stenson was a man many expected to figure into the fight for glory come the competition climax. But he failed to build any momentum during the fourth round, shooting an underwhelming 74.
Indeed, aside from Zanotti’s brilliant striking, moments of real quality were scarce on Day 4 in Malmo. This shot from home crowd favourite Jonas Blixt had supporters on their feet, though:
As the conditions continued to worsen throughout the day, potential challengers to Noren began to whittle down.
Sebastian Soderberg and Kjeldsen both would have fancied their chances of reeling in the leader on the back nine and were three shots adrift for long spells. But bogeys at 15 and 16, respectively, blemished their cards and effectively ended any hopes of a late charge.
It meant Noren could enjoy the final stages of his round, knowing that, barring a major meltdown, he was set to be crowned champion on home soil.
Scottish golfer Richie Ramsay paid tribute to Noren, who showcased admirable temperament under the pressure of leading a European Tour event:
His play on the final day was solid rather than spectacular. A birdie at the first was followed by a bogey at the second, signalling the start of what looked set to be an eventful round.
But from that point on, Noren played with a real diligence, making 15 consecutive pars before a birdie at the last capped off a fine week.
As we can see here, with three holes left to play, even with some difficult challenges ahead going to the tricky 16th, Noren’s spot at the summit was secure:
Needless to say, the Swede was very pleased to pick up a win in his home country, per Sky Sports:
"I’m so pleased. Now I can relax a bit because it was probably the toughest weekend in terms of wind I’ve ever felt.
When you’re in the lead you can think a lot, and it was very tough. I’ve had a few good tournaments but I haven’t played well on the last day. When I’ve had a chance – like at Wentworth, I had a small chance – I’ve had a slow round. I kept my poise and my caddie really helped calm me down.
"
This was Noren’s fourth European Tour win and his first since winning the Nordea Masters back in 2011. He’ll be desperate for this triumph to propel him to bigger and better things in 2015. The Swede will certainly be intent on making sure it’s not another four years until his next triumph.
The versatility Noren played with in Malmo was especially impressive. On Day 3, he took his chances with gumption, and although conditions were tough during the final round, the run of pars was emblematic of a player who is capable of grinding his way to a win if needed.
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