Japan Golf /Asian Tour - Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup

Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita gave the home fans something to savour by carding a final round five-under-par 66 to win the 150 million Yen (approximately US$1.5 million) Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup on Sunday.

Fujita was clearly in his element when he shrugged off the challenges from the best players from the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour by trading six birdies against one bogey to emerge victorious with his four-day total of six-under-par 278.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat returned to his best form after a six-week injury layoff by signing for a flawless 67 to share second place with Korea’s S.K. Ho and Jason Knutzon of the United States.

Korea’s Baek Seuk-hyun carded a 69 to take tied-fifth place alongside compatriot Lee Kyoung-hoon and Japan’s Yoshitaka Takeya and Yoshinobu Tsukada at the Japanese showpiece which was staged at the Ohtone Country Club.

Starting the day four shots off the lead, Fujita came back quickly with an opening birdie before picking up further gains on holes six and nine.

He then surged to the top of the leaderboard with birdies on 11 and 15.

A bogey on the par-four 17 did little damage to his title ambitions as he recovered well to close with another birdie on 18 to win his 18th title on the Japan Golf Tour.

“This win is especially rewarding as it was against a top field that includes players from the Asian Tour. I saw lots of happy faces among the crowd too and I’m glad my victory made it a special day for them,” said Fujita of the crowd who came in droves to support their local heroes at the Ohtone Country Club.

PGA Tour China - Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open

Hao Tong Li and Shih Chang Chan tied with 18 holes to play in the Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open, Li shot a Sunday 68 and turned the tournament into a rout, winning his first PGA TOUR China Series’ title by eight strokes -- the second-largest winning margin in Series’ history. Only J.H. Wang’s 10-stroke victory at the Mission Hills Haikou Open is better.

On a cold, almost-winter-like day, with light rain falling throughout the round, Li endured the difficult conditions by shooting his 4-under score -- tied for low-round-of-the-day honors -- to pull away from the crowded leaderboard. Chan, who struggled all day, shooting a 4-over 76, finished alone in second, followed by amateur Cheng Jin in third, who also shot 76.

“I am extremely happy to have my first professional victory this week. Today the conditions was extremely tough with the wind and rain, despite that being able to play the way that I did I am quite satisfied,” said Li in the clubhouse where he was drying off.

In the sloppy, wet conditions at St. Andrews Zhengzhou Golf Club, Li, Chan and Jin made up the day’s final grouping, and the threesome matched each other with pars and birdies on the first two holes. Jin pulled into a tie with his playing partners when he birdied the third hole, and the battle appeared ready to ensue. Li, instead, started to slowly pull away. He birdied the fifth and seventh holes and headed to his final nine at 12-under. After the third-hole birdie, Jin added bogeys at Nos. 4, 7 and 9 and trailed by five with nine holes to play. Chan, meanwhile, was still only three back after an even-par opening nine.

He just could never make a charge, though, and things started going south for the three-time 2014 Asian Development Tour winner. Chan bogeyed three of his next seven holes, and Jin recorded seven consecutive pars and two finishing bogeys. Meanwhile, Li holed birdie putts at No. 10 and No. 14, and the rout was on.

Asian Development Tour - PGM Port Dickson Championship

Asian Tour rookie Ryan Yip of Canada closed with a superb eight-under-par 63 to win by one-shot at the PGM Port Dickson Championship on Saturday.

Coming from five shots back, Yip marked his card with one eagle and seven birdies against a lone bogey to pip Malaysian Khor Kheng Hwai, who also signed for a 63, with a 20-under-par 264 total at the Port Dickson Golf and Country Club.

Overnight leader Arie Irawan of Malaysia was unable to replicate his good form as he carded a 72 to finish third place, four shots behind Yip, while Thailand’s Tirawat Kaewsiribandit settled for fourth place following a 65 at the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Yip, who secured his Asian Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year, was delighted to emerge victorious in his first appearance on the ADT, which was launched in 2010 as a gateway to the Asian Tour.

“I woke up feeling confident that I can have another go in chasing for the win. I wanted to have a good showing this week to put my game in good shape ahead of next week’s event. I’m glad I managed to do it,” said the 29-year-old Canadian, who walked away with the winner’s prize purse of US$10,812 and six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

Currently ranked 65th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Yip will be hoping to replicate his ADT success in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on the Asian Tour next week.

“I wanted to play on the Asian Tour because I know it is a good platform for me to boost my world ranking with the OWGR points on offer. I’m looking forward to going back to play on the main Tour. Hopefully I can extend my good form into next week’s event,” added Yip.

Despite missing out on his maiden win by a mere one shot, Khor soaked in the positives as he posted his career’s low round and best finish on the ADT.

“My putter worked wonders today. I putted really well today, in fact for all four rounds this week. I have nothing to lose despite missing out on the win. It was a pretty amazing week for me,” said the 29-year-old Malaysian.

Meanwhile Arie, who led in the first three rounds, will have to wait longer for his maiden victory as he failed to fend off his fast-charging rivals.

The young Malaysian reeled in nine straight pars but hit his drive out-of-bounds on the 10th hole which resulted in a triple bogey. He dropped a shot on the 13th hole but recovered with three birdies in his last five holes.

PGA Latino America – Ecuador Open

A chip-in for birdie at the par-four No. 14 vaulted Jacksonville, Florida’s Tyler McCumber to an impressive five-stroke victory at the All You Need is Ecuador Open this Sunday afternoon.

McCumber had reached the 14th hole in a two-way tie for the lead with 54-hole leader Mauricio Azcué of Mexico, but his chip-in and a bogey by Azcué suddenly found him in front by two shots. A couple of birdies on 16 and 17 helped him run away from the field at the Quito Tenis y Golf Club.

His five-stroke margin of victory turned out to be the largest recorded over the last two seasons of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, which kicked-off here the second half of its 2014 season.

Holding a one shot lead to start the final round, Azcué posted a 76 to join Guatemala’s José Toledo, 70, Colombia’s Marcelo Rozo, 71, and Australia’s Mitch Krywulycz, 71, in a four-way tie for the second spot.

“It feels great. It’s definitely an honor to make it on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. It’s been a lot of hard work this year and it’s been a rollercoaster ride, so it’s nice to get some results,” the 23-year old champion.

Son of Mark McCumber, a 10-time PGA TOUR champion, Tyler collected in Ecuador his first career win in fifteen months as a professional player.

Ryder Cup

World Number One Rory McIlroy led by example as Europe won The 2014 Ryder Cup after being given an early scare at Gleneagles.

The home side were overwhelming favourites with a 10-6 overnight lead, but saw Graeme McDowell three down after five to Jordan Spieth in the opening match and the unbeaten Justin Rose four down after six to Hunter Mahan.

At one point the United States were ahead in six early matches but McIlroy was an approximate eight under par in thrashing Rickie Fowler 5&4 to put the first European point on the board and fellow Northern Irishman McDowell won five out of six holes from the tenth to complete a remarkable 2&1 victory.

American rookie Patrick Reed reduced the deficit by beating Henrik Stenson on the 18th, but US Open champion Martin Kaymer chipped in for an eagle on the 16th to complete a comfortable win over Bubba Watson and make the score 13-7.

Victories for Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar over Stephen Gallacher and Thomas Bjorn respectively kept the contest alive before Rose claimed an unlikely half against Mahan thanks to eight birdies from the seventh, the last of which was conceded after Mahan made a hash of the 18th.

That put the home side one point away from outright victory - an eighth in the last 10 contests - and the honour of sealing it fell to Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who was already four up with four to play when he hit his approach to the 15th to within inches of the hole to beat Keegan Bradley.

"I hit the wedge shot of my life to close the game out. I can't really put words to it. It is unbelievable," Donaldson told Sky Sports.

"I knew it was getting tight there at the end and everyone was building on my group. I just tried not to spend too much time looking at the scoreboard.

"I was able to do it well enough to close it out.

"The lads have got on so well all week. There has been a great craic in there, it is an incredible week. It is hard to describe how good it is - there is nothing else like it in golf.

"It has been amazing to be a part of it."

On victorious captain Paul McGinley, he added: "He's been sensational, incredible. It's been a hell of a week."

McGinley paid tribute not only to his players, but everyone who had contributed to the win,

"It has been a real honour to captain these 12 players, our backroom team, it has been a huge team effort," he said.

"We had three or four big ideas which we kept feeding back to and they came off.

"I have a great sense of pride giving happiness to everyone."

Europe's players were quick to praise McGinley, who received public support from the likes of McIlroy, Poulter and Luke Donald when the post was being decided in January 2013.

Sergio Garcia, who beat Jim Furyk on the 18th, said: "He has been so methodical. Every single aspect he needed to touch on, he did. I've been fortunate to have a lot of great captains but Paul did things a little bit differently but with great style.

"He has been a little bit more of a modern captain, taking care of every single detail. He knew what we had was good and working but improved it without changing it."

McIlroy added: "I can't say enough about the captain. Paul McGinley has been absolutely immense this week. He has left no stone unturned. He has given this week a lot of thought over the last two years. I am just glad it worked out for him."