Chris Wood comes through ‘hell' to secure first DP World Tour top ten in eight years
Wood won three titles between 2013 and 2016, including the prestigious BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and was part of Europe's Ryder Cup team at Hazeltine under Darren Clarke.
However, chronic anxiety and burnout led to a dramatic drop in his form from 2019, with his last top-10 coming at the 2018 KLM Open.
"It's been horrendous, to be honest," said Wood, who was playing on a sponsor's invitation after losing his card and whose 11-under total gave him a share of seventh, six shots behind rookie winner Martin Couvra.
"It's been - since 2019 really - I just feel like I've been going through hell so to put a score together today is obviously great.
"I want to feel like I know my game's there, not just put a score on one day, and I genuinely feel like I'm starting to do that now.
"I've been working so hard at home just quietly with a great team and it's been a long old road, to be honest.
"I never lost belief in myself - you obviously have days where it feels harder than some.
"The fire in my belly has always been there. I'm relying on invites this year. I'm ready - I'm practising so well at home that a call last minute is not a problem, I'm ready to go.
"Hopefully this is a first little step forward and anyone who wants me at their event, please pick up the phone because I need a few starts this year."
Couvra had led at the halfway stage but a third-round 72 left him four shots off the pace going into the final round.
However, the 22-year-old Frenchman produced a superb 64 to finish two shots clear of Spain's Jorge Campillo and China's Li Haotong.
"It was amazing to win on my first year on the DP World Tour - it's just a dream," said Couvra.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Josh Tongue looks back with confidence as England face another big run chase
England are 'pretty chilled' about the daunting prospect of breaking a 123-year-old record at the Kia Oval, with Josh Tongue sensing a feeling of deja vu as the Rothesay Test series heads to a thrilling finale. The highest-ever fourth-innings chase at the Kia Oval was 263 way back in 1902 and England need to shatter that if they are to reach the 374 they need to turn a 2-1 scoreline into a 3-1 triumph. They were dealt a major blow when Zak Crawley lost his off stump to a Mohammed Siraj yorker off the final ball of the third day, leaving them 50 for one overnight with 324 runs still to get. But Tongue insisted they were relaxed about the task, having posted 373 for five to win the first Test of the series in Yorkshire. By coincidence, the Nottinghamshire seamer gave the press conference the night before that match and was optimistic about England's chances. Having seen his faith rewarded once, he was more than happy to double down. 'It's a replay from Headingley. I got asked the same question then so I don't see why we can't chase down these runs,' he said. 'We're pretty chilled about it. There's not much overthinking it. How we play as a batting unit is very positive, very exciting. With the line-up we've got, I can't see why we can't give it a good go. 'It will be a great day of cricket and a great day for us if we get the runs. It is doing a bit, a few balls tonight jumped off a good length, but if you get through the first hour who knows?' England theoretically have nine wickets in hand but may only have eight to play with, Chris Woakes' dislocated shoulder meaning a remarkable set of circumstances would need to unfold for him to even consider attempting to bat. Woakes' absence meant the remaining seamers had to take on an extra burden, Tongue rewarded for 30 overs of toil with a second five-wicket haul in Tests. That means he ends the series as his country's leading wicket-taker with 19 at 29.05, despite sitting out games at Old Trafford and Lord's. 'We knew we were going to be bowling quite a few overs out there and it was unfortunate for Wiz getting injured, nobody likes that happening to any bowler,' he said. 'It was obviously going to be a tough ask for us as bowlers and I thought we stuck at it very well. I've had a lot of ups and downs. 'Sometimes I feel I didn't bowl as well as I could but I'm obviously very chuffed to get the wickets. The main thing is getting wickets for the team and putting us in position to win games of cricket.' Yashasvi Jaiswal, who led his side's efforts with a fine 118 that was augmented by crucial contributions from Akash Deep (66) and Washington Sundar (53), expected his side to level the series 2-2. 'Of course, I think we are quite confident,' he said. 'We just need to focus on our process and keep bowling in the right areas. That's what we are thinking. 'We want this, we want some battle in the middle.'
Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
One moment perfectly summed up the way this Test is going - England have been all bark and no bite, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH
Moments before lunch on the third day of the fifth and final Test, Shubman Gill comfortably defended a delivery from Jamie Overton, who followed through and glared at the Indian captain. Gill smiled back, utterly unconcerned. As a metaphor for the progress of this game, it was perfect. While England have been all mouth and no trousers, India have played with a sense of purpose and pre-destiny, as if the fates could not possibly allow their efforts these past few weeks to amount to a 3–1 defeat. Gill did fall first ball after the break, but he had already taken his summer's haul to 754, the most in a series by a Test captain not called Don Bradman. Overton, meanwhile, would finish with match figures of two for 164 in his first Test for three years. Apparently Brendon McCullum is a fan. So, clearly, are India's batsmen. England deserve sympathy for losing Chris Woakes to a serious shoulder injury on the first evening, but his absence has only highlighted the fragility of an attack that should never have been cobbled together for a game of this magnitude in the first place. Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue have had their moments, but Overton has looked short of Test class and the lack of a frontline spinner has placed an intolerable burden on the three remaining fit seamers. As Washington Sundar's late pyrotechnics extended India's second innings to 396, it was clear that the gamble England had taken in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, by playing Jofra Archer in back-to-back matches and Brydon Carse in his fourth in a row, had backfired. India have played with a sense of purpose and pre-destiny as they seek to claw a Series draw Ben Stokes (pictured) is out alongside Chris Woakes as he is nursing a shoulder injury Since both then had to be rested here, and with Ben Stokes nursing a shoulder injury, England fielded a new-look attack on a surface Archer and Carse would have loved. Having placed everything on black, they have been horrified to discover it has come up red. That was not the only problem. For the first time in a home Test since 2006, they dropped as many as six catches in an innings, with Yashasvi Jaiswal alone put down three times and nightwatchman Akash Deep shelled by Zak Crawley at third slip only 21 runs into his career-best 66. Those misses cost England 143, potentially the difference between a 3–1 win and a 2–2 draw. With this series in the balance, it has been India who have stepped up – and Australia will have taken note.
BBC News
6 minutes ago
- BBC News
Motherwell 1-1 Rangers: What Askou said
Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou tells BBC Scotland: "Second half we came out the way we wanted, we tried to be more dominant and brave."We were able to gear up and put pressure on Rangers. "I was quite impressed with that."With more sharpness and effectiveness, we could've taken three points."When asked if he was frustrated by how the corner for Rangers' goal was given away, he replied: "No, no. "If people think we are frustrated when we try to do what we know is going to give us a lot of success over time... I want more bravery."
