TANGIER: France’s Pierre Pineau ended a four-year wait for a second professional victory with a brilliant final-round 67 to claim the Hilton Classic title at Al-Houara Golf Club in Tangier on Wednesday, finishing on 10-under par to win by two shots from compatriot Andoni Etchenique.
Pineau, who started from the first tee in calmer conditions than the tournament had seen all week, made six birdies against a single bogey to pull clear of the field and claim the $18,000 first prize.
He picked up shots on the second and fifth before a bogey at 11 briefly threatened to let the chasing pack back in. But the Frenchman responded by picking up shots at 12, 13, 15 and 18 to seal a memorable win.
“It feels really good,” Pineau said. “This is only my second win as a professional and the last one was four years ago, so it almost feels like a new experience again.
“After the bogey on 11 it actually freed me up a bit; instead of playing safe and counting shots, I just started trying to make birdies again.”
Pineau paid tribute to his girlfriend, who caddied for him during Tuesday’s torrential conditions and whose support he credited as integral to the victory.
“My girlfriend has been incredible. She’s been with me every step of the way and honestly if she hadn’t been there yesterday in the rain I probably wouldn’t have shot two under,” he said.
“The last 12 months have been tough, I changed coaches, it was my first full year on the main tour and at one point I almost stopped playing. This win means a lot.”
Etchenique was the nearest challenger and carded a bogey-free 67 of his own to finish on eight-under par. He made three consecutive birdies from the fourth to the sixth before adding gains at the 10th and 14th.
“I felt a little bit of pressure at the start but I tried to go low early and managed to make three birdies in a row from the fourth to the sixth,” Etchenique said.
“To finish with a bogey-free round on a course like this is something I’m proud of. I felt like I had a chance if I kept going and it was a great experience to play under pressure and finish strongly in the final round.”
Ireland’s Paul McBride also carded a fine 67, with six birdies lifting him to seven-under par and third place, his $7,000 cheque a timely boost after spending the winter at home. McBride birdied four of the first 11 holes to move into contention before the run dried up on the back nine.
“I felt like I played really well throughout the day,” McBride said. “It’s definitely good for the confidence to be in contention, especially this early in the year. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season now and seeing what opportunities come up next.”
Four players share fourth place on five-under par: Ireland’s Mark Power, Italy’s Aron Zemmer and Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, and England’s Curtis Knipes, each collecting $4,550.
Ayoub Lguirati was the leading Moroccan, finishing in a share of 35th place on five-over par, with Ayoub Ssouadi and amateur Issam Nakrou also completing the week after making the cut.
The Hilton Classic was the second and final event of the MENA Golf Tour’s Morocco Series at Al-Houara Golf Club.
The Tour’s next event is the Qatar Classic at Doha Golf Club from March 23 to 25. The season concludes with the Al-Ain Championship at Al-Ain Equestrian Shooting & Golf Club from March 30 to April 1.
