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Ryder Cup star Karlsson triumphs in Germany

14/09/2008

Robert Karlsson warmed up for next week's Ryder Cup clash with victory in the Mercedes Benz Championship in Cologne.

The Swede, who flies out to Valhalla with the European team tomorrow, carded a final round of 71 to win by two strokes.

Karlsson finished on 13-under par to end a two-year wait for a European Tour win.

Italy's Francesco Molinari put in a late challenge, which included four birdies in a row, to finish on 11-under.

Karlsson's Ryder Cup colleague Miguel Angel Jimenez (66) was third while Soren Hansen and Graeme McDowell were eighth and 16th respectively.

Karlsson began the final round three shots clear and made the perfect start with a birdie on the first hole.

But his lead slipped away after bogeys on the third and fourth hole, before the veteran recovered with three successive birdies from the fifth.

With Molinari launching a late charge, Karlsson hit back by sinking a birdie on the 13th but the Swede bogeyed the 16th to slice his lead to two shots.

Molinari missed a birdie putt on the 17th before Karlsson two-putted on the final hole to clinch victory. The win for the 39-year-old is the eighth Tour victory of his career.

Meanwhile, Frenchman Jean-Francois went from second place to joint 16th after a disastrous final round of 79 which included three double-bogeys.