Stenson claims 10th title

PULHEIM, Germany — Henrik Stenson sealed a second BMW International Open title in Germany Sunday, after recovering from a mid-round wobble to win by three shots.
The Swede went into the final round with a one-stroke lead from Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, and he finished strongly to reach 17-under par and hold off the chasing pack. 
It is a 10th European Tour title for a player who is regarded by many peers and pundits as one of the best to have never won a major crown, and a first since his second World Tour Championship win two seasons ago in Dubai. 
"It was hairy all the way, it was a tough one," Stenson, who also won the 2006 edition of this event, said. 
"I had to dig deep to come back. I didn't play well on the front nine, made a couple of mistakes. 
"I felt like I was starting to make a bit of a mess of it and then I came back and made the birdies on the par fives.
"I really feel like I played well in 2015 and I just couldn't get a trophy. It was a bit hard at times but you've just got to keep on trying and put yourself in position. I did that once again and this time I managed to go all the way." 
When Stenson birdied the opening hole a runaway victory looked likely in Pulheim, but the world No. 7 stuttered around the turn with three bogeys in five holes from the sixth. 
That allowed South African Darren Fichardt to draw level at the top of the leaderboard, but a bogey on the final hole gave the world No. 348 a clubhouse leading mark of only 14-under par after a fourth-round 69. 
For most of the day Olesen looked the most likely to hang onto Stenson's coat tails, but the talented 26-year-old made too many mistakes in a one-over-par round of 73 to finish in a tie for second with Fichardt. 
The 40-year-old Stenson took advantage with three birdies in five holes to card a 71, as he closed out the title for the first time in his last three attempts after following up a playoff defeat in this tournament in 2014 with another runner-up effort last year. 
Sergio Garcia, another player known as one of golf's perennial 'nearly-men', soared into contention as an eagle on the par-five 13th hole dragged him to within two shots of the lead. 
But in trademark fashion, the unpredictable Spaniard double-bogeyed the next hole and ended up in a tie for fifth place. 
Defending champion Pablo Larrazabal could not quite launch a bid to become the first player to win the tournament three times and had to settle for tied-ninth. — AFP