SINGAPORE – Jan. 31, 2005 – Swashbuckling Nick Dougherty of England shot a flawless five-under-par 67 to win the Caltex Masters presented by Carlsberg, Singapore 2005, by five strokes and clinch his first European Tour title on Sunday.

The golfing gods were smiling on the 22-year-old Dougherty as he brushed aside defending champion Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, who finished in a tie for second place with Maarten Lafeber of the Netherlands at Laguna National Golf and Country Club. The outcome of the US$1 million tournament, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour, hinged on a ruling at the 16th hole when Dougherty, just one stroke ahead of Montgomerie, drove into the face of a steep bunker.

A referee was called and gave Dougherty a free drop under a local rule as he would have endangered himself in attempting the shot as the ball was lying near some wooden planks embedded in the bunker's face. Dougherty was allowed to play from outside of the bunker and he hit his second shot to three foot and drilled the putt for birdie. Montgomerie, who looked bemused at the ruling, three putted from 30 foot for a bogey to fall three shots behind.

Young gun Dougherty, the 2002 European Tour rookie of the year, finished in style with a birdie at the 18th to end on 18-under-par 270 and pocket a cheque for US$166,660. Montgomerie, who wanted a successful defence to kickstart his climb back up the world rankings from 82nd place, bogeyed the last hole for a 70 and fell into a tie for second with Lafeber who carded a final round 69.

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, like Montgomerie two shots behind Dougherty at the start of the day, never fully recovered from a double bogey seven at the second hole, when he hit his approach into water, and carded a level par 72 for fourth place, seven shots adrift of the winner. China's Liang Wen-chong finished with a 71 for a six-way share of fifth place with Marcus Fraser of Australia, world number 25 Lee Westwood of England, Ireland's Peter Lawrie, Robert Coles of England and Frenchman Gregory Havret. They were 10 shots off the pace.

"It was only after putting out at the last hole that I said to myself 'oh my God' I have won," said Dougherty, who was a lowly 287th in the world rankings at the start of the tournament. "It is magnificent to win and to do it against guys like Colin (Montgomerie) and Thomas (Bjorn), two greats of the game, makes it even better. It was picture perfect really.

"I got a lucky break (at the 16th) with the drop - it was very fortunate. There was a chance if I had taken bogey and Montgomerie had made par we would have been all tied up with two to play. But I took advantage by getting a birdie. Today I made no mistakes and they (Bjorn and Montgomerie) did - I think my iron play all week was flawless."

Dougherty is a protege of six-time Major champion Nick Faldo and he said that the Englishman sent a text to him before the final round. "He told me to visualize each shot and commit to each shot. It is good to know that he has been watching what I have been doing," said Dougherty.

Montgomerie agreed that the ruling at the 16th hole had been crucial to the outcome. "The ruling was the turning point," he said. "I was one behind and in the middle of the fairway and he (Dougherty) is in the face of the bunker. Next thing you know he is three feet away (from the pin). That's the rules but it is weird. Defeat is quite hard to take because I played well."

Liang, tipped as a future star in the region and the successor to 2003 Caltex Masters presented by Carlsberg winner Zhang Lian-wei, said he was happy to finish as top Asian. "I played good golf this week and had a good feeling," said Liang, who had an eight-under-par total of 280. "I tried to keep my swing slow and steady and apart from bogeys at the second and ninth holes I played tidy golf."

Leading final round scores
270 - Nick Dougherty (ENG) 68-67-68-67
275 - Maarten Lafeber (NLD) 69-70-67-69, Colin Montgomerie (SCO) 65-71-69-70
277 - Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 72-66-67-72
280 - Peter Lawrie (IRE) 74-72-68-66, Lee Westwood (ENG) 70-73-70-67, Robert Coles (ENG) 72-69-71-68, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 71-70-70-69, Gregory Havret (FRA) 70-70-69-71, Liang Wen-chong (CHN) 70-68-71-71
281 - Peter Hedblom (SWE) 71-69-66-75
282 - Peter Senior (AUS) 72-71-70-69, Mo Joong-kyung (KOR) 72-72-68-70
283 - James Kingston (RSA) 73-73-68-69, Paul Marantz (AUS) 73-68-71-71, Kim Felton (AUS) 70-73-69-71, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 70-68-72-73
284 - Graeme Mcdowell (IRE) 74-69-69-72, Angelo Que (PHI) 70-70-70-74, Søren Hansen (DEN) 69-70-69-76
285 - Barry Lane (ENG) 73-73-71-68, Anders Hansen (DEN) 72-73-70-70, Philippe Lima (POR) 76-68-70-71, Zhang Lian-wei (CHN) 72-72-70-71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (FRA) 69-74-69-73, Jason Knutzon (USA) 69-71-70-75
286 - Fredrik Andersson (SWE) 75-69-75-67, Boonchu Ruangkit (THA) 73-72-73-68, Mardan Mamat (SIN) 74-72-71-69, Philip Golding (ENG) 75-70-71-70, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (DEN) 73-71-72-70, Chen Yuan-chi (TPE) 72-72-71-71

For further information, please contact Tan Kheng Im or Scott Crockett at the Caltex Masters presented by Carlsberg, Singapore 2005 Tournament Press Centre tel: +65 6822 7969 or fax: +65 6822 7968. Also, visit us at www.asiantour.com and www.caltexmasterspresentedbycarlsberg.com