KOEPKA JUMPS INTO THE WORLD TOP 50
Week 46

Brooks Koepka held off a spirited challenge from Ian Poulter to win the Turkish Airlines Open, jumping into the World Top 50 for the first time in his career. Charley Hoffman grabbed a third PGA Tour title of his career moving to World No.69.

Rashid Khan of India produced a gutsy performance to win his second Asian Tour title this season by one-shot at the Chiangmai Golf Classic.

17TH NOVEMBER 2014 | 08:46 AM

European Tour – Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Youth and Sports

Brooks Koepka held off a spirited challenge from Ian Poulter to win the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, jumping into the Worlds Top 50 for the first time in his career.

Koepka claimed his first European Tour title in Antalya, a result which ensured Rory McIlroy won The Race to Dubai for the second time in three years.

The American carded a flawless closing 65 at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal to finish 17 under par, one shot ahead of Poulter, who missed a birdie putt from six feet on the 18th to force a play-off.

Marcel Siem, Jamie Donaldson or Sergio Garcia had needed to win in Turkey and at next week's DP World Tour Championship to have a chance of overtaking McIlroy.

And although Siem started the final round just one shot off the lead, the BMW Masters winner could only card a closing 71 to finish joint eighth, with Donaldson 19th and Garcia 25th.

Koepka, who won three times on the Challenge Tour last year to gain instant promotion to The European Tour, carded four birdies on the front nine and holed from 40 feet for another on the 10th, before a brilliant approach to the 13th set up an eagle from just eight feet.


PGA Tour – OHL Classic at Mayakoba

Charley Hoffman grabbed a third PGA Tour title of his career as he held his nerve to complete a one-shot victory at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico.

Hoffman finished 17 under par and won by one stroke from Shawn Stefani after New Zealand's Danny Lee, whose seven successive birdies on the front nine was the longest streak of the tour season, faded on the inward half.

But the 37-year-old American had to do it the hard way after hitting a tree with his final drive, forcing him to hack out left-handed. Two good shots set up a tap-in bogey and his compatriot Stefani could do no better, having left his own tee-shot up against the face of a bunker.

Hoffman's five-under-par round of 66 was blemish-free up until that point, with four birdies on the front nine taking him firmly into contention having started three strokes behind overnight leader Jason Bohn.


Asian Tour – Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT

Rashid Khan of India produced a gutsy performance to win his second Asian Tour title by one-shot at the Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT on Sunday.

Khan started the final round two shots behind overnight leader Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand before rallying on the back nine to defeat the Thai and countryman Jyoti Randhawa at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.

The 23-year-old fired a four-under-par 68 highlighted by four birdies on holes nine, 10, 12 and 14 for a winning total of 17-under-par 271 at the majestic Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai.


Japan Golf Tour – Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters 2014

American David Oh is the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters Champion, the 33 year old, currently in his third Japan Tour season, winning his first event on that tour.

A crucial birdie at his 72nd hole was enough to get the third round leader home by one ahead of Toshinori Muto with Tomohiro Kondo and American Han Lee tied for 3rd.

The surprise in the tournament was the performance of world number three, Bubba Watson, who after leading early in the week faltered with a third round 77 and eventually finished in a tie for 24th.

Brad Kennedy was the best of the Australians in a tie for 30th one ahead of Brendan Jones who contended early before a final round of 77.


PGA Tour Latino America – Hyundai - BBVA 88th Abierto de Chile

Argentina’s Jorge Fernández Valdés, 22, became the youngest two-time PGA TOUR Latinoamérica champion with a victory at the Hyundai - BBVA 88th Abierto de Chile on Sunday.

Outright leader after a course record-tying 62 in the second round, Fernández Valdés managed to defend the top spot with a final round of 2-under 70. He closed the week at 17-under par 271 to win by two strokes over Joel Dahmen of Clarkston, Washington and Armando Favela of Tijuana, Mexico.

The victory at the Club de Golf Los Leones propelled Fernández Valdés to the fourth spot of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit with only two events left to play this season.

“I’m very happy to win again on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica because it’s not easy to win on this Tour,” said Fernández Valdés, who claimed his second Tour win at age 22 years, 3 months, 10 days.

After playing the front nine, the Cordoba native seemed on his way to a runaway victory. After birdieing 2 and 4, he put together a birdie-birdie-birdie run to close the front nine at 20-under for the tournament. His was leading by five at that point.


PGA Tour of Australasia - 2014 Mazda NSW Open

Victorian Anthony Brown has won the 2014 Mazda NSW Open after a two hole playoff at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club.

Starting the day three shots off the lead, Brown went quietly about his business to shoot 3-under 69 and tie New Zealand's Josh Geary at 14-under 274 at the end of regulation play.

After 15 holes Brown had caught overnight co-leaders Geary and James Nitties at 14-under the card however a bogey on the par-3 16th saw him drop out off the pace.

Heading to the 18th hole,now two shots off the lead, Brown made a clutch birdie to be in the clubhouse at 14-under the card.

He watched on as Nitties made bogey on16 and then Geary on 17, he briefly held the outright lead, but a birdie on 18 from Geary saw them headed to a playoff.

The 18th hole was played sudden death with both players making birdie on their first trip down the stretch.

The second time down 18, Brown made birdie to claim his first title on the PGA Tour of Australasia.


PGA Tour China - Nine Dragons

Amateur Cheng Jin, who had come close to winning in his previous PGA TOUR China start, didn’t let a second chance slip away. Jin made a late birdie at the Nine Dragons Open and watched as Lucas Lee, who had led for most of the final round, finished with three consecutive bogeys. That opened the door to history as Jin became the first amateur to win a PGA TOUR China event. He defeated Sam Chien by a shot.

“I’m just so excited. I didn’t really think about winning before the week, but I played really well; especially my putting,” said Jin, who turned 16 in March. “This really gave me a lot of confidence and is a turning point for myself and for my future in golf.”

After a bogey on 15, Jin admitted winning was far from his mind. He then hit a poor tee shot on the par-3 16th but made, as he says, “a great up and down that gave me a lot of confidence.” Meanwhile, Lee was bogeying the hole, and suddenly Lee’s lead was one shot. When Lee bogeyed the par-5 17th and Jin birdied, Jin, who seemed out of contention 20 minutes earlier, suddenly was one hole away from the title, walking to the 18th tee with a one-stroke lead.

Jin, who shot a disappointing final-round, 4-over 76 at the Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open after starting the day a stroke behind the leaders—in his last start—played steady golf at Nine Dragons Golf Club and just hung in all day, recording five birdies, none bigger than his birdie on 17.

“I knew what was going on, what Lucas had done and that I had the lead, so I went to 18 and tried to do my best,” Jin added. “I didn’t really get nervous. I had two great swings and two really good putts.”

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