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Stuart Manley Seeks Rankings Boost After Winning Fourth Challenge Tour Title

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By Paul Jones

Stuart Manley is hoping his latest victory will launch him higher up the rankings after he won his fourth European Challenge Tour title.

The Welsh star clinched the Blot Open de Bretagne title with a birdie at the 72nd hole on Sunday.

Manley, whose last win came at the 2021 Euram Bank Open, battled through a testing final day with the lead changing hands several times, but holed a 15-foot birdie at the last to secure victory.

It is the former Walker Cup player’s second win in France following his triumph at the 2018 Hauts de France Golf Open, adding to his first title from Finland in 2013 and was delighted to return to winning ways in Brittany.

“It feels amazing, awesome. I’m lost for words,” he said.

“It’s been a long, tiring week. I was really pleased with my 62 in the second round. That is probably my lowest round on the Challenge Tour and DP World Tour.

“To have the lead at the start of the third round is always quite tough and I didn’t have my game during the last few rounds. I managed to keep the ball in play and stayed close to the guys and managed to hole the odd putt, and then I’ve hit the best shot I’ve hit all year at the last which I’m chuffed about.

“I didn’t have my game today. I was really struggling with my irons, but I managed to hit the fairways, which actually is the toughest thing on this golf course.

“Fingers crossed I can get it done for the rest of the season. It gives me some confidence and puts me inside the top 20 on the Rankings.”

Manley began the day as part of the leading duo with Benjamin Follett-Smith, but when the Zimbabwean double bogeyed the first it left Manley in front by himself.

Following a birdie at the sixth and a dropped shot at the following hole, the 44-year-old was joined at the top of the leaderboard. Spain’s Manuel Elvira bounced back from a double bogey at the fifth hole with three consecutive birdies to share the lead with Manley as they made the turn.

The pair were chased down by England’s Lee Slattery as he made three birdies in a row from the tenth hole, but a double bogey at the 14th and another dropped shot at 18 saw his chances fade.

Manley birdied the 11th to move ahead but bogeys on 14 and 17 saw him tie the lead with the Spaniard as the stepped on 18 tee.

However, it was Manley who bounced back in style to win once again on the Challenge Tour with his birdie putt, while Elvira made bogey for a two-shot victory.

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