MCILROY CLAIMS 3rd WIN OF THE YEAR
Week 20

Rory McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship by seven strokes, setting a new tournament record score of 267.

James Morrison produced a brilliant final round display to claim a comprehensive four shot victory at the Open de España moving to World No.158th

Australian Rod Pampling fired a 5-under 66 Sunday to cap off a wire-to-wire win at BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX CORPORATION.

Australian Adam Bland has broken through to win his first event on the Japan Golf Tour, claim the biggest prize of his professional career at the Japan PGA Championship.

18TH MAY 2015 | 09:15 AM

PGA Tour - Wells Fargo Championship

Rory McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship by seven strokes, setting a new tournament record score of 267.

The Northern Irish world number one, 26, finished on 21 under par with a final round 69 in North Carolina to earn his second win at Quail Hollow.

America's Patrick Rodgers and Webb Simpson tied for second on 14 under.

"Everything is firing on all cylinders for me," said McIlroy. "I'm a more controlled player these days. I've learned how to finish things off."

He added: "I felt if I made six birdies there was no chance of anybody catching me.

"I did what I wanted the last few weeks, got a couple of wins, got myself up the Fedex Cup standings and solidified my positions in the rankings."

It was an 11th PGA Tour victory for McIlroy, who shot his lowest career round of 61 on Saturday to lead by four strokes going into the final day and break his own Quail Hollow course record, set in 2010.

A bogey at the par-three second, where he three-putted, was his first blemish since the first round but he made the turn at 19 under.

He held form to ease past the previous tournament record of 16 under set by Anthony Kim in 2008.

McIlroy, who won the WGC Match Play title two weeks ago, now has six top-10 finishes in his last eight PGA Tour starts.

European Tour - Open de Espana

James Morrison produced a brilliant final round display to claim a comprehensive four shot victory at the Open de España moving to World No.158th.

The 30 year old Englishman, whose previous European Tour title came in Madeira five years ago, had shared the lead with compatriot David Howell at the start of the day after a third round 68 in fast and windy conditions at Real Club de Golf El Prat.

With the breeze up again in the final round, Morrison’s flawless closing 69 blew the field away as he led throughout.

After trading four consecutive pars with Howell at the start of the day, Morrison chipped in from behind the green for birdie at the fifth.

Another gain from 12 feet at the ninth extended his advantage, and although the likes of Howell, Francesco Molinari and defending champion Miguel Angel Jiménez all threatened to put him under pressure, a run of eight straight pars on the back nine saw Morrison reach the 18th with a three shot lead.

He finished in style with a birdie from ten feet to earn the biggest prize of his career and €250,000, with victory taking him from 296th in the Official World Golf Ranking to just outside the top 160 and completing a return to form after he had to regain his card at Qualifying School in 2013.


Web.com Tour - BMW Charity Pro-Am Presented by SYNNEX Corporation

Australian Rod Pampling fired a 5-under 66 Sunday to cap off a wire-to-wire win at BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX CORPORATION. Pampling, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, finished 25-under and beat out Texan Kelly Kraft by two shots and earn his first Web.com Tour title and move to World No.179th.

“I don’t care where you’re playing, to shoot 25-under and win only by two, that’s a tribute to the quality of players out here,” said the 45-year old Pampling, who lives in the Dallas area. “There are so many great players out here. It feels fantastic. It’s tough to win anywhere these days.”

Pampling rushed to the front with a 9-under 63 in Thursday’s opener of the event, which paired professionals with top celebrities and amateurs in a unique best-ball format over three different courses. Pampling back that up with a second 63 on Friday and led by two heading into Sunday’s finale at Thornblade Club.

“I knew that a good score would be three or four-under,” said Pampling. “I figured if I shoot 5-under, that makes them shoot 7-under and you’ve got to play awesome on this course to shoot seven.”


Japan Golf Tour – Japan PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodle Cup

Australian Adam Bland has broken through to win his first event on the Japan Golf Tour, claim the biggest prize of his professional career at the Japan PGA Championship in Saitama and claim a World Ranking career high of 190th.

The 32-year-old carded a one-over 72 final round to win by three shots from Korean Sang-hee Lee, earning an estimated $330,000 payday.

Bland led the tournament from early in the second round and held a six-shot buffer before yesterday’s closing day.

He bogeyed his final two holes but held on for a crucial victory that guarantees his full playing status on the Japan Tour for the next two seasons.

The left-hander won twice on the Canadian Tour and on the PGA Tour of Australasia and played the Web. Com Tour in the US, but yesterday’s win was easily his most significant.

Bland now tops the 2015 Japan Tour money list, ahead of fellow Aussie Michael Hendry.


Challenge Tour – Made in Denmark Challenge

England’s Max Orrin mastered the “toughest conditions I have ever played in” to secure the second European Challenge Tour win of his young career at the Made in Denmark Challenge.

The 21 year old Englishman posted a level par 71 in brutal conditions at Royal Copenhagen Golf, with swirling, gusting winds wreaking havoc up the final round contenders.

Starting the day three shots off the pace, Orrin battled brilliantly throughout the final round to produce a brilliant level par 71 which saw him post the clubhouse lead of one over par.

With four groups to finish behind him, and with Scotland’s Andrew McArthur and Englishman Jack Senior still in with a chance of forcing a play-off, Orrin faced an anxious, but worthwhile, wait to be crowned Made in Denmark Challenge champion and pick up a cheque for €27,200 which propels him to second place on the Road to Oman Rankings.

“That was as tough as I have played in – it was pretty brutal out there at times,” said Orrin, who was a Member of the 2013 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team.

“I finished with a seven on the last on Saturday night and but I know that if I could shoot around level par today that I would have a chance. I was three behind, but the conditions were really tough so it was just one of those days where I hung in there and managed to make a score.

“There is definitely an extra satisfaction in winning in such tough conditions and on such a tough golf course so I am definitely going to enjoy the victory. It’s been a great day for me – I feel that score today earned me the win”.


PGA Tour China – The Eternal Courtyard Open

Sunday at The Eternal Courtyard Open, Chan donned his signature blue polka-dot shirt that he had worn for six of his previous victories. The shirt -- and his strong play -- came through again as the Chinese Taipei native won the tournament by three shots over China’s Xin Jun Zhang. Chan, the 324th-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking and a three-time Asian Development Tour winner in 2014, used a four-birdie stretch to close his front nine at St. Andrews Golf Club. He then kept his foot on the gas on the back nine to shoot an 8-under 64.

It was a story of two different sets of 36 holes for Chan. He opened 71-77 when strong winds dominated play during the first two days. With the wind laying down on the weekend, Chan made his move, entering the weekend tied for 23rd. He shot a 67 Saturday to move into a tie for second, and then he held off Zhang, who had a 64 of his own, on the final day. Chan made a routine, two-putt par on the final hole to secure the title.

“This week, although my second-round score was 77, I just tried to keep myself in control and hit the ball on the fairway,” Chan said. “I figured if I did that my scores would be better.”


Korean Golf Tour / One Asia – The 34th GS Caltax Maekyung Open

Korean Moon Kyongjun claimed the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today in a thrilling error-strewn finish for the first victory of his career.

Holding a four-shot lead over playing partner Gareth Paddison from New Zealand on the final hole, Moon stumbled home with a triple-bogey seven but still won by two shots.

The Korean signed for a one-over-par 73 to finish the OneAsia event on four-under-par 284.

Paddison, who bogeyed the last three holes, closed with a 74 to finish joint second with compatriot Ryan Fox (72), Australian Jason Norris (77) and Korean Kim Dohoon (68).

Adding to the dramatic finish Kim birdied five holes on the trot from the 12th but also bogeyed the problematic 18th at Namseoul Country Club.

Moon had started the day two behind leader Norris, who was bidding to become the first foreigner to win the title in a decade.


Asian Development – PGM MNRB Sarawak Championship

Janne Kaske produced a battling seven-under-par 65 to become the first player from Finland to win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) at the PGM MNRB Sarawak Championship on Saturday.

The 29-year-old Kaske missed a two-foot par putt on the third hole for his only bogey of the day before fighting back with eight birdies to triumph by four shots with a winning total of 12-under-par 276 at the Kelab Golf Sarawak.

Overnight leader Erwan Vieilledent of France enjoyed his best result on the ADT when he returned with a 72 for second place.

Malaysia’s Airil Rizman fired a 71 to share tied third place on 281 alongside Japan’s Masaru Takahashi (70) and Casey O’Toole (71) of the United States at the RM200,000 (US$55,400) ADT event.

“It was magical. I started off badly and I thought my tournament was over because of my bad mistake but then the putts started to drop and I told myself, ‘don’t put the brakes on now’. I used all my chances to make birdies and got lucky,” said Kaske.

Kaske, who is the first non-Asian winner on the ADT so far this year, fired the low round of the week to overcome a three-shot deficit to hand him his first title this year.

“At one point, I started feeling that if I don’t win after playing this well, I don’t know when the victory would come. Now that I won, it means so much to me,” he added.

Kaske played college golf at the Augusta State University before turning professional six years ago. He played on the European Challenge Tour and on the mini tours in Europe before trying for the Asian Tour Qualifying School earlier this year where he missed the cut.

He hopes to continue his momentum on the ADT and finish inside the top-five on the Order of Merit at the end of the season where he will earn an Asian Tour card for 2016.


PGA LatinoAmercia – 57 Abierto Mexicano de Golf

with a spectacular finish of two birdies and one eagle on the last four holes, American Justin Hueber wins the 57th Abierto Mexicano de Golf, played at the Club Campestre de Aguascalientes.

With the eagle at 17 Hueber took the lead with 23-under par and finished with a par to win by one over Brad Gehl and Maxi Godoy.

His 5-under par, 67 was the only round without a bogey this Sunday.

The winner made no mistakes during the entire round but had to wait until the 12th hole to find the first birdie. Then he birdied 15 to 16 and after 17 he took the lead for the first time in the round.

In second place finished another American Brad Gehl, who scored one of the best rounds of the day with 7-under par 65 and Argentine Maxi Godoy, who was leading almost the whole round, but his 68 was not enough to tie Hueber.

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