Dyson gets 3rd KLM Open title

Hilversum, Netherlands – Englishman Simon Dyson captured his third KLM Open title in six years on Sunday, winning the 2011 edition by a single stroke over David Lynn.

Dyson, who won in 2006 and 2009 at Kennemer, posted a four-under 66 in the final round and finished at 12-under 268 at Hilversumsche Golf Club.

The victory was not just his third at this championship, but it was his sixth on the European Tour and second this season. Dyson titled at this year's Irish Open.

Lynn birdied the last for a two-under 68, but he came up a stroke short at minus-11.

World No. 4 and reigning U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy made a run early in the final round, but his three-under 67 left him alone in third place at 10- under 270.

Third-round co-leader Gary Orr, who hadn't won since his two-victory season of 2000, shot a one-over 71 and took fourth at minus-nine.

It seemed almost fitting that there was a one-hour delay to start the final round after the week this tournament had.

There was a 45-minute delay at the start of the championship when vandals destroyed four greens Wednesday night, then a three-hour, 30-minute weather stoppage on Thursday set the tournament back.

With bad weather on the horizon Sunday, the tee times were moved up and players went out in threesomes. Rain fell late in the final round, but Dyson was safely in the clubhouse, watching to see if he was headed to a playoff.

After a four-iron approach to 20 feet at the par-five 18th, Dyson came up woefully short with his eagle putt. He converted the three-footer for birdie and walked off with a two-shot lead.

Lynn, who won this title in 2004, missed a good look at birdie at the 17th, but had the par-five 18th to overcome his two-stroke deficit. He reached the green in two, albeit 65 feet right of the flagstick.

Lynn had to wait for Orr to get a ruling and for Orr's generally slow pace of play. He needed to make the long eagle try to force a playoff, but the putt snuck by on the left side.

That gave Dyson his third KLM Open title and put him in elite company. The only two other players with three KLM Open victories are the late Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer, two Hall of Famers and perhaps the best two European Tour players in the history of the circuit.

"To be on the same trophy as names like those two, three times, it's a dream come true really," Dyson said in his televised interview. "It's a fantastic feeling."

Dyson was even on his round after two birdies and two bogeys, but his last bogey at No. 11 knocked him three behind Orr. A bogey at nine from Orr cut the margin to two, but Dyson caught fire, starting at 12.

He two-putted for birdie at that hole, then kicked in a pair of short birdie putts at 13 and 14. That gave Dyson a lead he never surrendered en route to his second win this year.

"I've been playing some good golf for the last two months," said Dyson. "I didn't think two wins would come along so quickly together. It hasn't really sunk in."

World No. 2 Lee Westwood carded a four-under 66 and came in fifth at eight- under 272.

James Kingston, who shared first with Orr after round three, struggled to a three-over 73 on Sunday and fell into a tie for sixth place at minus-seven.

NOTES: Dyson is expected to move into the top 30 in the world rankings with this victory...Both of his previous KLM Open titles came in playoffs...McIlroy is expected to move to third in the rankings...Next week is the Seve Trophy pitting Great Britain and Ireland against continental Europe.