Rafael Cabrera-Bello wins Austrian Golf Open

Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain fired an incredible final round of 60 to win the Austrian Golf Open at Fontana GC in Vienna by a single stroke from England’s Benn Barham.

Rafael Cabrera-Bello
Fergus Bisset
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published

Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain fired an incredible final round of 60 to win the Austrian Golf Open at Fontana GC in Vienna by a single stroke from England’s Benn Barham.

Cabrera-Bello began the last round eight shots off the lead, but he blistered round the Doug Carrick designed layout at Fontana to record an 11-under-par closing round, equalling the lowest ever score on the European Tour. The 25-year-old even had a putt for a 59 on the last green.

“It's just amazing - I played the best golf of my life and I can't believe it,” he said. “I was so far back I wasn't thinking about winning. I just tried to play a shot at a time and today it worked out really, really good.”

The Spaniard made his move with four consecutive birdies from the 8th to the 11th then consolidated with four more at the 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th.

With the win Cabrera-Bello climbed to 46th in the Race to Dubai and has moved into the top-10 on the Ryder Cup rankings.

Benn Barham who began the day three clear of Soren Hansen did little wrong over his closing round as he recorded a two-under-par 69. Had it not been for Cabrera-Bello’s incredible play, the Kent golfer would have secured his first tour victory. “I’m very happy with the way I played this week, obviously disappointed to finish second,” said Barham. “It’s very hard to take.” Soren Hansen of Denmark finished in third place for the second successive week and England’s Richard Bland was fourth.

Austrian Golf Open Fontana GC, Vienna, Austria Sep 17-20, purse €1,000,000, par 71

1    Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 71 67    66    60    264    €166,660     2    Benn Barham (Eng)    63    66    67    69    265    €111,110     3    Soren Hansen (Den)    67    67    65    68    267    €62,600 4    Richard Bland (Eng)    68    70    65    66    269    €50,000 5    Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)    69    67    65    69    270    €42,400 T6    Seve Benson (Eng)    69    68    68    66    271    €28,100 T6    Richard Green (Aus)    65    66    69    71    271    €28,100 T6    Pablo Martin (Esp)    66    68    70    67    271    €28,100 T6    Simon Wakefield (Eng)    68    70    67    66    271    €28,100 T10    David Dixon (Eng)    68    67    71    66    272    €17,925 T10    Pelle Edberg (Swe)    68    65    71    68    272    €17,925     T10    David Horsey (Eng)    67    67    71    67    272    €17,925 T10    Damien McGrane (Irl)    71    67    67    67    272    €17,925

Player scores listed in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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