Weekend winners: Wang’s heroics on 18 earns him victory
European Tour: Trophée Hassan II – Jeunghun Wang
Putts of 18, 50 and 20 feet on the same 18th green gave the Korean a remarkable first victory on the European Tour.
His first effort came to barge his way into the play-off with Nacho Elvira. The Spaniard then whistled a brilliant long approach onto the par 5 but Wang rolled in a huge putt to extend it to a second extra hole.
And then converted a relatively more straightforward effort to break through at just 20 years of age. Last week he missed the cut with a pair of 78s though he was second in India.
Overnight leader Chris Hanson double-bogeyed the 8th but still managed a tie for fifth, his best result, while Robert Rock had a chance after making a birdie at the 13th to tie for the lead. But bogeys at 15 and 16 meant he would finish one back with Clement Berardo.
Elvira had one of the rounds of the day, his 69 having looked like being enough in the closing stages.
What Wang said: “I can’t remember the last three holes, I’m so excited right now that I don’t think I’m going to sleep much tonight! It’s an amazing feeling.
“I knew I needed to make birdie after Nacho’s great shot in the play-off, and I hit quite a good shot in there but it was still a long putt. It was a similar putt to the one I holed on the 18th the first time, so I just hit it on the same line and luckily for me it went in.
“My hands were shaking so much, I could barely hold the putter, so I’m amazed the putts went in. I’m so happy.
“Soomin [Lee] is a very good friend of mine. I watched him win and sent him congratulations afterwards. Now I hope he was watching me and will send me congratulations!
PGA TOUR: Wells Fargo Championship – James Hahn
James Hahn hadn’t played a weekend on the PGA Tour since the Super Bowl in February but managed to overcome eight missed cuts, and a playoff, to pick up his second win at Quail Hollow.
He hadn’t broken 70 in 18 consecutive rounds but a 70 was all he needed to get into a playoff with Roberto Castro, winning at the first hole of sudden death.
What Hahn said: “The mind is a powerful thing and it was going bad for a while. (I) just didn’t have the confidence, didn’t believe in myself. I felt like I was putting in the work but wasn’t getting any reward for it, so it made me not want to put in as much work because it’s not gratifying.”
He added: “It was a relief to make the cut. But to be 100 per cent honest with you guys, we dream bigger than that. Making cuts on this tour is not something that I get happy about. Competing and having a chance to win on the back nine on Sunday is something that gets me up in the morning.”
LPGA Tour: Yokohama Tire Classic – Ariya Jutanugarn
Ariya Jutanugarn became the first Thai player to win on the LPGA Tour with a victory at the Yokohama Tire Classic
The 20-year-old from Bangkok finished at 14-under 274 to beat South Korea’s Amy Yang and Americans Morgan Pressel and Stacy Lewis by one shot and finally reach the winner’s circle after three top-10 finishes this year.
She started the fourth round with a three-stroke lead and managed to close out the win with a level par round of 72.
Yang shot 67, Pressel and Lewis both shot 68 as the trio finished tied for second at 13-under.
Needing a par for victory at the last Ariya drove into the rough then missed the green with her second but chipped to five feet and made the putt for her first win.
Earlier this season at the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the year, she led by two shots with three to play in the final round but bogeyed her final three holes to lose to Lydia Ko.
It was also a special win for another reason as her mum was in attendance on US Mother’s Day. Thailand celebrate Mother’s Day on August 12.
What Ariya said: ”It was so tough. I can’t control anything. My legs were shaking, my hands were shaking.
“Thank you for my mom for being with me all the time to support me and happy Mother’s Day.”
Ladies European Tour: Lalla Meryem Cup – Nuria Iturrios
In just her second start the Spaniard battered the field in Morocco with a last-round 65 to win by six shots.
The 20-year-old rookie was two behind at the start of a wet final day but then recorded eight birdies. She was tied for the lead with Florentyna Parker by the 8th and then had to hold off fellow rookie Angel Yin from America.
Yin then bogeyed three on the trot and Iturrios turned it into a procession. She finished it in style with a lengthy birdie at the last where Parker, after 17 straight pars, had her only bogey but still took second.
What Iturrios said: “This is the best day of my life and my best achievement since finishing fourth in Lalla Aicha Tour School. I really enjoyed playing at the same venue my Spanish friends and colleagues on the European Tour. I had a lot of fun.”
Challenge Tour: Turkish Airlines Challenge – Clément Sordet
A second win for the Frenchman after he found the par-5 18th in two and two-putted to hold off compatriot Matthieu Pavon who had just eagled the same hole.
Clement carded a 69 to add to the title he picked up in Northern Ireland. Englishman Aaron Rai carded a final round 70 for a career-best third-place finish in Belek. He was joined by Road to Oman Rankings leader Sebastian Soderberg, who opened up a lead of nearly 10,000 points over France’s Romain Langasque, who was one shot further back.
What Sordet said: “I knew in the back of my mind that Matthieu was going to finish with an eagle. When I walked off the green I saw he was 19 under and we were level. I was just trying to hit my driver on the fairway and give myself a chance to get on to the green. I hit a perfect drive on the fairway and then a really good second shot.
“I had to make a two-putt from three metres, so I said to myself just push it short and then tap it in.”
Mark Townsend
Been watching and playing golf since the early 80s and generally still stuck in this period. Huge fan of all things Robert Rock, less so white belts. Handicap of 8, fragile mind and short game
