ROSE JUMPS TO WORLD NO.3
Week 21

Justin Rose closed with a 6-under 64 and finished at 20 under Sunday at Colonial for a three-stroke victory over defending U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka in the Fort Worth Invitational.

Francesco Molinari produced a flawless final round at Wentworth Club to win his first Rolex Series title at the BMW PGA Championship moving from World No.32 to 20.

Cameron Davis rolled in a 3-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win the third annual Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation by one stroke over Kevin Dougherty, Josh Teater and Lanto Griffin moving to World No. 105

29TH MAY 2018 | 04:39 AM

PGA Tour - Fort Worth Invitational

Justin Rose closed with a 6-under 64 and finished at 20 under Sunday at Colonial for a three-stroke victory over defending U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka in the Fort Worth Invitational.

It was the ninth career PGA TOUR victory for Rose, the 37-year-old Englishman and No. 5 player in the world who also won his 2017-18 season debut in October at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. He is the fifth player with multiple wins this season. Rose got nearly $1.3 million and a plaid jacket for winning at Hogan's Alley.

Koepka shot 63, but had started the day four strokes behind Rose in the final group. Emiliano Grillo had a 64 to finish third at 16 under.

While Rose missed matching Zach Johnson's 2010 tournament scoring record of 259 because of bogey on the 72nd hole, first-round leader Kevin Na matched the course record with a closing 61 and finished fourth at 14 under.

Fourth-ranked Jon Rahm shot 68 and was tied for fifth at 10 under with Louis Oosthuizen (68) and Kevin Tway (67).

The win at Colonial, the longest-running PGA TOUR event still played at its original site (since 1946), adds to an impressive list of traditional courses where Rose has won.

Rose got his first PGA TOUR win at Muirfield Village in the 2010 Memorial, and won the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion. His 11 international victories include the 2014 Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, and the 2007 Volvo Masters at Valderrama in Spain.

After birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 for the third day in a row, Rose gave up a stroke at the difficult 459-yard third when his drive went into a fairway bunker and he hit from there into the rough.

Rose got that stroke back with a 23-foot birdie putt at the 474-yard fifth hole, the toughest at Colonial, to restore his lead to four over Koepka.


European Tour – BMW PGA Championship

Francesco Molinari produced a flawless final round at Wentworth Club to win his first Rolex Series title at the BMW PGA Championship.

The Italian entered the day in a share of the lead with 2014 champion Rory McIlroy but hit the front on his own with a birdie on the third and never looked back, signing for a 68 and a 17 under par total.

McIlroy finished two shots back after a birdie-birdie finish handed him a 70, one clear of defending champion Alex Noren and Dane Lucas Bjerregaard.

Molinari had finished in the top ten at this event in five of the last six seasons - including a second place last year - and his fifth European Tour victory takes him alongside Costantino Rocca as the most prolific Italian winners in Tour history.

The triumph also represents a third top ten in six Rolex Series events heading into next week's Italian Open - an event he has won twice.

"It's amazing," he said. "I've been close so many times. If I could pick one tournament to win in my career it would be this one so to finally get over the line was amazing. I can't wait to be back next year.

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy with Rory today, he probably didn't play his best but I still knew he was going to charge back the last few holes.

"I came into this week knowing that I was a long way back in the Ryder Cup and that something pretty special needed to happen. We are halfway there and next week is another important week from that point of view and hopefully another successful week for me."

Molinari hit a wonderful approach into the third and holed an eight-footer for birdie, with another excellent approach into the par five eighth bringing another birdie.

Web.com Tour - Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation

Cameron Davis rolled in a 3-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win the third annual Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation by one stroke over Kevin Dougherty, Josh Teater and Lanto Griffin.

Davis essentially came out of nowhere to earn his maiden Tour win, in just his fifth start of the season. The Sydney native entered the final round six strokes off the lead. Davis opened with six pars before recording back-to-back birdies. As Davis made the turn there were eight players higher than him on the leaderboard. The 23-year-old quickly ascended up the board with birdies at 11, 13 and 15.

Typically, when players are thrust into contention there is a tendency to tighten up. If Davis was nervous coming down the stretch, the patrons couldn’t tell. Davis birdied the tricky par-3 17th and then went for the green-in-two at the par-5 finishing hole. Just short of the green in two, he pitched his third 4 feet past the hole. When he knocked in the birdie try, Davis’ name was sitting alone at the top at 18-under-par.

“I kept on holing putts even when the pressure was on, which is a big improvement for me,” said Davis, who had 25 putts on Sunday. “It’s nice that I could get it done under pressure. There were nerves out there, I didn’t know the exact situation, but I knew I was up there and to make a few putts is really nice.”

Davis’ victory in Nashville was eerily similar to his triumph at the Emirates Australian Open last year. Starting the final round six shots back of overnight leader Jason Day, Davis fired a 7-under 64 to win his first professional title on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia. While Davis will never forget his first victory, the success he enjoyed in the Music City gets him closer to accomplishing his goal.

“It’s hard to compare,” said Davis. “The Aussie Open was fantastic, it was my first win and such a big event, but getting it done on this Tour, gets me toward the PGA TOUR. It’s good to get a win out here and it means a lot.”


Japan Golf Tour - Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open at The Royal GC

Four players secured their place in The 147th Open at The Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open in Japan. Shota Akiyoshi was the winner of the championship and qualifies for The Open along with Masahiro Kawamura, Masanori Kobayashi and Michael Hendry.

Challenge Tour - D+D REAL Czech Challenge

Minkyu Kim etched his name into the record books as the youngest winner in European Tour and European Challenge Tour history by winning the D+D REAL Czech Challenge in stunning fashion.

At 17 years and 64 days, he has eclipsed the previous mark of 17 years and 188 days set by Italy’s Matteo Manassero at the European Tour’s 2010 CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar.

On the Challenge Tour, Kim betters Dominic Foos’ record by 283 days as the new youngest-ever champion on tour.

The South Korean, who started the day with a two-shot lead before faltering early, was able to settle himself, and after picking up shots on the seventh and ninth, he made the turn only one stroke behind Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg.

Kim would then put on a show — taking just 30 shots to complete his back nine, which included six birdies and no bogeys, to fly past Soderberg and claim a three-shot victory on 20 under par.

The crowds at Golf & Spa Kunětická Hora grew quickly, and after finding the putting surface with his approach into the 18th, the young Korean was able to enjoy his walk to the green.

Afterwards, the teenager reflected on a week, and a final nine, that will live long in his memory.

“I feel really happy,” said Kim. “It’s a dream. I was really nervous this morning before the round and on the first few holes, but then I made a double-bogey on six and I just wanted to get a top-three.

“I was crazy over the back nine. My driver was really good, I hit such good iron shots and my putter was really good too. I was just crazy.


“My goal is now to make the European Tour this year by finishing in the top 15.”

With victory Kim becomes only the second golfer from South Korea to win on the Challenge Tour — following Byeong Hun An who triumphed at the 2014 Rolex Trophy — and moves up 109 places on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah to now sit in 12th position.

Asian Development Tour - Betagro Championship

Thai hotshot Pavit Tangkamolprasert bounced back from a wrist injury after closing with a three-under-par 69 to claim a record sixth Asian Development Tour (ADT) title at the Betagro Championship on Sunday.

The 29-year-old Pavit, who held a three-shot advantage heading into the final round thanks to a sparkling third round 62, traded six birdies against three bogeys to win by one shot with a 19-under-par 269 total at the Suwan Golf and Country Club.

With this victory which also marks his first on home soil, Pavit now holds the most number of wins on the ADT, which was inaugurated as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010. He had shared the record with Chan Shih-chang after claiming his fifth title in Chinese Taipei in 2016.

Thailand’s Thitiphun Chuayprakong, playing in his first tournament following an eight-month injury-layoff, was hot on Pavit’s heels, firing five birdies against a bogey in his opening 11 holes before nailing an eagle-birdie from 14 to tie the lead.

Two bogeys in his closing three holes, however, saw Thitiphun settle for a 67 to share second place with countryman Sattaya Supupramai, who carded a solid 65, at the ฿3,000,000 (approx. US$96,000) event.

“It feels incredible, I didn’t have any expectations this week because I was just looking forward to coming back to compete and playing with my friends on home ground. I think that’s why I did well because I didn’t think about winning. It is just a bonus that I can set a new record on the ADT,” said Pavit, the 2014 ADT Order of Merit champion.


KPGA Korean Tour - Genesis Championship

Taehee Lee won the Genesis Championship moving from world No. 905 to 470.


Alps Tour Golf – Gosser Open

Spain’s Santiago Tarrio won the Gösser Open today at the GC Erzherzog Johann in Maria Lankowitz (Austria) with a total of -13.

It was Tarrio’s first win on the Alps Tour. The 2017 winner of the tournament Lukas Nemecz (AUT), Kevin Hesbois (BEL) and Louis Cohen Boyer (FRA) tied for 2nd place at -10.

“I’m very tired but very happy, it’s my first victory on the Alps Tour after a second place last year” 27-year-old Tarrio said. “I arrived at the Gösser Open after missing two cuts in a row on the Challenge Tour, so I did not have good feelings at first. But I love playing in this tournament as it feels like home here, it’s peaceful, it’s nice” he added. “I’m not going to have time to think too much about this victory as I’m already preparing for the next Alps Tour tournament in Guadeloupe on Thursday” he concluded.


Nordic Golf League - Pärnu Bay Golf Links Challenge

With a round final round of -5, 25-year-old Martin Eriksson won a convincing victory in -15 at the Pärnu Bay Golf Links Challenge moving to World No 817.

Big Easy Tour - Big Easy Challenge 3 - State Mines

Dylan Mostert hit two perfect shots into the closing hole at State Mines Country Club – twice – to capture his second Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour victory in extra time on Wednesday.

In his first trip down the 18th in regulation play, the 19-year-old Mostert split the fairway and parked his approach shot 10 foot from the hole. He boxed the birdie putt for a five-under-par 67 and set the clubhouse at nine-under.

Then he did it again after overnight leader Bruiners also made three at the par four 18th for a 70 to force a sudden-death play-off.

“I drove the fairway again and had 110 metres flag,” said Mostert. “Heinie found the fairway bunker and his trap-shot flew the green. I hit my second to 10 foot. Heinie had a really tough lie, but he hit a great chip to 12 foot. He missed the par putt though, leaving me with two putts for the win, but I nailed it on the first try.”

Bruiners was seven under with a one shot clear of Pretoria amateur Keegan Mclachlan at the start of the final round, while Mostert was caught in the six-man logjam at four under.

The former Sunshine Tour winner birdied the first and third holes, but Mostert kept pace with an eagle at the par five third.

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