Levy Grinds out Victory in Morocco; Van Rooyen Slips to T7

RABAT, Moroco -- Alexander Levy got off to a fast start and then clung tenaciously to his lead over a difficult stretch of finishing holes Sunday on his way to a one-stroke victory in the Trophee Hassan II tournament.

It was the fifth European Tour victory for Levy. He earned 416,660 Euros for his performance, which moved him up to fifth place on the money list. The victory also put the 28-year-old Frenchman in the race for a spot on the European side for the 2018 Ryder Cup, which will be played in France at Le Golf National, just outside of Paris.  

Levy started the round tied for second place, one stroke behind 54-hole leader Alvaro Quiros. Birdies at the third and fifth holes at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam put Levy in front, and he made up for a bogey at the seventh with a birdie at the eighth on a course where birdies were not easy to come by, and espcially not on Sunday. He saved par with an 8-foot putt at the 14th hole and a 4-footer at the 15th. An approach shot that ended up in a bad lie in the front bunker at the 452-yard, par-4 16th resulted in a bogey, and Levy had to make a 4-footer simply to salvage his 5.

Just as his chances appeared to in danger of a crash landing, he hit a majestic 6-iron tee shot at the 171-yard, par-3 17th. It was a towering shot, and the ball stopped quickly on the firm green, leaving him a 5-footer for a birdie. He converted the putt to pretty much secure the win.  

Levy's drive at the 575-yard, par-5 18th put him in position to go for the green. But it was a risky second shot, and he chose to lay up. He then hit a wedge to 25 feet and two-putted for a par -- for a closing 2-under-par 72. That gave hm a 72-hole total of 280 (8 under).

Quiros struggled for most of the day. He turned things around at the end, however, finishing with a birdie at the 17th and another birdie at the 18th for a valedictory 72 -- and solo second at 281. Although he didn't win, the runner-up finish represented a welcome return to form for Quiros, who won in 2017, but since then had missed the cut 16 times in 19 events before he arrived in Morocco. 

Andrea Pavar posted the best score on Sunday, a 66, and that moved him from outside of the top 10 into a four-way tie for third at 282, along with Joakim Lagergren, Alexander Bjork and Mikko Ilonen. 

Erik Van Rooyen, the former University of Minnesota star and 2012 Minnesota State Amateur champion, was in contention for the third time in the eight tournaments that he's played in during the 2017-18 European Tour season. Unfortunately, his putter went cold after he birdied the second, third and fourth holes in Saturday's round. He had the lead at that point, but he bogeyed the 10th and 15th holes to fall two behind, before getting back to within one of the lead -- and into the second-place tie with Levy and two others -- with a birdie at the 18th. 

Playing the final round with Levy, in the penultimate group, Van Rooyen was still within one of the lead after he birdied the 587-yard, par-5 fifth, although now it was Levy he was chasing, not Quiros. But that was his last birdie of the week, and he bogeyed both the 472-yard, par-4 10th and the 387-yard, par-4 15th for the second day in a row. The result was a 73 and a tie for seventh at 283.

Van Rooyen had a chance to make a birdie at the last hole, after hitting his second shot into the front bunker, but his blast from there went over the green, and the 28-year-old South African ended up having to make a 4-footer for his par. With that, he earned $68,750 and moved up on the European money list from No. 50 to No. 39, with 262,834 Euros.  

EUROPEAN TOUR

Trophee Hassan II

At Royal Golf Dar Es Salam

Par 72, 7,510

Rabat, Moroco

Final results (prize money is listed in Euros, which were worth $1.23 as of 4/22/18) 

1. Alexander Levy        416,660 Euros    72-69-69-70--280

2. Alvaro Quiros           277,770 Euros    70-67-72-72--281

T3. Andrea Pavan        118,750 Euros     75-71-70-66--282

T3. Joakim Lagergen    118,750 Euros     68-73-71-70--282

T3. Alexander Bjork      118,750 Euros      74-69-69-70--282

T3. Mikko Ilonen            118,750 Euros     72-72-66-72--282

T7. Erik Van Rooyen     68,750 Euros     68-71-71-73--283

T7. Andy Sullivan            68,750 Euros      72-72-69-70--283