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A SIZZLING seven-under-par opening round of 65 proved to be the cornerstone of Englishman Andrew Marshall's victory in the prestigious King Hamad Trophy over three rounds on the Montgomerie Course at the Royal Golf Club.
It's a win that will see the 37-year-old line up with some of the best players in world golf in the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions to be played over the same course next month.
Marshall, who has Open Championship experience having qualified six times in succession between 2004 and 2009 attributed his King Hamad Trophy triumph to 'a low first round'. He explained: "I got four shots clear and tried to increase the lead, got to -10 at one stage but was not able to increase it further.
"My putting dried up," said the champion, adding "(runner-up) Chris Hurter and I both had chances but we didn't manage to take them."
In the tightest of finishes, Marshall, who has a second place on the European Tour to his name - he was runner-up to the current world number-eight Paul Casey at the 2006 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles - explained: "It was all square coming into the 18th at eight-under on the third day. Chris found water with his tee shot, took a drop and then found a bunker making a double bogey on the last."
German Hurter finished in second place, two-shots back on six-under-par, with another ex-European Tour player, Yasin Ali in third place. Last year's champion David Park, the popular Awali professional, never really got going, carding rounds of 75, 73 and 73 to finish in sixth place.
Players from 19 countries participated in the fourth King Hamad Trophy with Marshall going forward to the Volvo Golf Champions which takes place on the Montgomerie Course from January 27-30.
"It's what I came here to do - I chose to come to this event instead of the (European) Tour Q School," said Marshall. "The invitation to the Volvo Golf Champions is a huge opportunity for anyone and it will be a fantastic opportunity to play alongside a great field."
And the newly-crowned champion does not plan to play the tour event just to make up the numbers, saying: "This tournament gave me three days on the course with great weather, which is good preparation. I know the course now after playing here for three days so I will treat it like any other tournament."
Clutching the impressive King Hamad Trophy it is only a matter of days until he tees-off in the company of players such as world number 10 Ian Poulter, World Cup holders Francesco and Eduardo Molinari and Royal Golf Club course designer and winning Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.
