Fiji International: Jason Norris claims maiden European Tour title

Leaderboard

-14 Jason Norris

-10 Jazz Janewattananond, David McKenzie, James Marchesani

-9 Adam Bland, Daniel Pearce, Peter Wilson, Wade Ormsby

Day four report

Australian Jason Norris claimed his maiden European Tour title with a four-stroke victory at the Fiji International.

The 44-year-old shot a final-round 67 to finish on 14 under ahead of Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond and Australian pair David McKenzie and James Marchesani.

Janewattananond sunk an eagle and six birdies to record a course-record 64.

Norris was a shot adrift of overnight leader Wade Ormsby at the start of Sunday but immediately wiped out that deficit with a birdie at the first hole.

And he then went ahead with back-to-back birdies at the third and fourth before dropping his first shot of the day at the fifth.

That was just a minor blip, though, as three straight birdies from the seventh put him in control of the tournament with a four-stroke advantage.

Another bogey at the 10th was a small inconvenience before a seventh birdie of the day at the 13th got him back on track.

He dropped another shot at 15 but responded with yet another birdie at 17 to take a commanding lead into the final hole and a safe par wrapped up the comfortable victory.

"I think it was just our week," Norris said. "Everything aligned and putts dropped and some good shots came. It was amazing.

"I said a couple of years ago when I was about to quit that I didn't want to give it away until I had won a big tournament because I know I can.

"I just tried to stay switched on and not think about the future Things come into your head - you try to block them out. I was really happy with our process today.

"I played that hole badly all week so to hole a good putt on the first for birdie settled things. I just stuck to one shot at a time but I putted really well on the front nine and that is what gave it to us."

Day three report

Australia's Wade Ormsby was surprised to find himself at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final day of the Fiji International at Natadola Bay.

Ormsby made a slow start to the third round and was one over par after seven holes but birdied seven of the next 10 to surge through the field as a lack of wind made for ideal scoring conditions.

The resulting 66 saw Ormsby finish on 10 under par, a shot ahead of compatriot Jason Norris, with another Australian - James Marchesani - a shot further back in third.

"It was a bit of a surprise coming up the last, I hadn't seen too many leaderboards for the day but obviously very happy with it," Ormsby said.

"I didn't think I would be in that position after seven holes, I was getting a bit frustrated, but then the putter started to get a bit hot so I started to move in the right direction.

"I feel like I am playing quite solid, I haven't made many bogeys for the week and once I got my putter going I really started moving forward.

"I feel like I can keep doing what I am doing, it will just be if other guys get going as well and chase me."

Norris, who was part of a four-way tie for the lead after 36 holes, looked set to hold the outright lead after birdies on the eighth, ninth, 12th and 14th took him to 11 under par.

But the 29-year-old then ran up a triple-bogey on the 16th and did well to bounce back with a birdie on the next to card a third round of 70.

"It's a tough tee shot and I hit a poor drive," Norris said. "I don't mind that hole and hit driver there all the time and in the hazard you should still make five - but a couple more poor shots as well and it adds up to a seven."

Marchesani is due to contest the qualifying school later this year, but a victory on Sunday would give him a valuable European Tour exemption.

"I think it's nice now that we have a few events in Australia tied with Europe so that if you do play well or even go on to win it opens doors on other tours," Marchesani said after storming home in 30 for a 67.

"A good week here and you never really know where you'll be the week after."

Day two report

Australia's Scott Hend produced a superb second round of 66 to move into a share of the halfway lead in the Fiji International at Natadola Bay.

Hend, Sky Bet's 2/1 favourite to go on to win the event, carded an eagle, five birdies and a single bogey on Friday to join first-round leader Daniel Pearce, Gavin Green and Jason Norris at the top of the leaderboard on seven under par.

The Australian trio of Adam Bland, Peter Wilson and David McKenzie are two shots back in a tie for fifth, with two-time major winner Angel Cabrera on three under following a 69.

Hend began the day five shots off the lead but made the ideal start to his second round by holing a long eagle putt at the first, before making birdies at the fourth, sixth and ninth to reach the turn in 31.

The 44-year-old picked up further shots on the 11th and 16th to move into the outright lead, but dropped his only shot of the day at the long 17th.

"We just tried to play stress-free golf in the wind," two-time European Tour winner Hend said. "I missed a lot of putts but I still walk off the golf course with six under and in a good position at the halfway mark.

"The 17th was probably my worst swing of the day. Unfortunately I just blocked it a little right, down to the hazard, took a drop and miscalculated which club to hit into the green.

"I thought I hit a really nice chip and it just ran out over the slope. It's just one of those things. I made a mistake off the tee and I paid the price for it. It is probably the easiest hole on the golf course and it felt like making a double."

Hend is targeting a place on the President's Cup team at the end of September, with International Team captain Nick Price having two wild cards at his disposal.

"There is nothing more that I would like than to be on a President's Cup team this year," Hend added. "With that in mind, there are no two ways about it, I have to perform, if I don't perform I won't get picked."

Pearce had extended his overnight lead to three shots after a front nine of 34, but double-bogeyed the 11th and dropped another shot on the next before rallying to birdie the 15th and 17th to card a 71.

Former Masters champion Mike Weir is six shots off the pace after a 71, with home favourite and course designer Vijay Singh on the same score following a 72.

Day one report

New Zealand's Daniel Pearce holds a one-shot lead after the first round of the Fiji International thanks to a brilliant burst of scoring at Natadola Bay.

Pearce began his back nine with an eagle and three straight birdies to open up a three-shot lead before two late bogeys meant he had to settle for an opening six-under-par 66.

Fellow Kiwi Ben Campbell and Australia's Daniel Valente were Pearce's nearest challengers on five under, with home favourite and course designer Vijay Singh five shots off the pace following a 71.

"I holed a really nice putt on the first hole for birdie, which got the momentum going in the right direction," Pearce said. "There was a lot of good golf. I didn't quite finish it off how I'd like to but I'm pretty happy.

"The putter was pretty hot today so I rolled in a few putts from all over the place, which was nice."

Campbell reached the turn in 35 after following a birdie on the first with eight straight pars, but his round came to life after the turn with three birdies in a row from the 10th.

A bogey on the 16th briefly halted his progress, only for the 25-year-old to bounce back with an eagle on the 17th to get within a shot of the lead

"It was a solid round," Campbell said. "I thought anything under par today would be a great score. It wasn't easy out there, that's for sure.

"So I'm really happy to get off to that kind of start. I think at most tournaments you'd take a five-under first round anyway."

Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera and former Masters champion Mike Weir ended the day six shots off the lead after opening rounds of 72.