COETZEE BACK IN THE TOP 100
Week 37

George Coetzee secured his fifth European Tour title - and his first in Europe - after producing a short game masterclass to hold off a stellar chasing pack and win the 2020 Portugal Masters moving back into the World Top 100 at World No.85.

Stewart Cink won the season-opening Safeway Open at 47 years old for his seventh PGA TOUR victory and first since the Open Championship in 2009, jumping 168 spots to World No.151.

24-Year-old Korean Hanbyeol Kim won a consecutive title at the 36th Shinhan Donghae Open, moving to a career best of World No.284.

13TH SEPTEMBER 2020 | 08:01 AM

European Tour - Portugal Masters

George Coetzee secured his fifth European Tour title - and his first in Europe - after producing a short game masterclass to hold off a stellar chasing pack and win the 2020 Portugal Masters moving back into the World Top 100 at World No.85.

The South African did not put a foot wrong on Sunday afternoon, posting a spotless 66 that contained five birdies and some outstanding par saves to keep his card clean.

Coetzee began the day with a one shot advantage but was knocked off the top of the leaderboard early on after parring his opening six holes in a patient start to his final round.

The 34-year-old made his first birdie of the day from 20 feet on the difficult seventh before picking up another shot from a similar distance on the short eighth to get to 13 under and regain his one stroke lead.

After making another gain from nine feet at the 11th, Coetzee made key par putts on the 12th and 13th to remain in front as the chasing pack began to gather just behind him on an incredibly bunched leaderboard.

He then holed brilliant birdie putts at the 16th and 17th to move to 16 under par and give himself a two shot cushion heading to the 18th tee.

Coetzee saved his best drive until last and went on to make a nerveless par to win for the second week in a row, having also tasted victory at the Titleist Championship at Pretoria Country Club on the Sunshine Tour last week.

PGA Tour – Safeway Open

Stewart Cink won the season-opening Safeway Open at 47 years old for his seventh PGA TOUR victory and first since the Open Championship in 2009.

Cink closed with a 7-under 65 -- rebounding from a bogey on the 17th with a birdie on the 18th -- for a two-stroke victory over Harry Higgs.

Cink is the oldest PGA TOUR winner since Phil Mickelson at 48 at Pebble Beach in February 2019. Cink's last victory came at the expense of then-59-year-old Tom Watson at Turnberry, with Cink winning a four-hole playoff.

Cink did it the old fashioned way Sunday, with a short game that repeatedly put him in great shape on the greens. He one-putted 10 times, scrambled for pars after driving into the sand twice and had eight birdies to finish at 21-under 267.

Higgs shot a 68.

KPGA Korean Golf Tour – 36th Shinhan Donghae Open

24 Year-old Korean Hanbyeol Kim won a consecutive title at the 36th Shinhan Donghae Open, moving to a career best of World No.284.

Korn Ferry Tour - Evans Scholars Invitational

Curtis Thompson earned his redemption moment with the biggest win of his career at the Evans Scholars Invitational. The 27-year-old birdied his final hole to edge Will Zalatoris and Jimmy Stanger by one stroke. Curtis earned 14 \Ranking points moving to a career best of World No.306.

“I just never thought I would be back here again and I definitely never thought I would be talking to you guys about a win,” said Thompson. “I can’t thank the people around me enough helping me go through hell and back…I’m extremely happy. It gives me reassurance that I’m good enough to be out here. Now I feel secure in myself.”

Entering the par-5 18th, Thompson knew he needed a birdie for the win. He took driver off the tee, clearing the fairway bunkers, and had 263 yards to the pin for his second shot. Then came a 2-iron pin-high and an opportunity for a 40-foot two-putt to secure the win.

“[Emotionally]I wasn’t great, I’m not going to lie,” said Thompson of his mind swirling before his putt. “I hadn’t putted great from long range all day. I left some putts short from that 30-50 foot range, but obviously I knew that putt was downhill so if I could just get it over the top it should snuggle down by the hole. And I was lucky enough to have a short second putt for the win.”

The win was the breakthrough moment Thompson had been seeking over the past six years as a professional. His brother, Nicholas, is a past Korn Ferry Tour champion, and Lexi is an 11-time LPGA Tour champion. Prior to Sunday, Curtis Thompson had posted eight top-10 finishes in 103 career starts without claiming a title.

ProGolf Tour - Haugschlag NÖ Open by perfect eagle

With a total 17 under par Swiss Jeremy Freiburghaus secured his second tournament victory this year at the Haugschlag NÖ Open by perfect eagle moving to a career best of World No.557,

On the picturesque championship golf course of Golfresort Haugschlag Austria's Waldviertel, the professional from Bonaduz plays rounds with 67, 67 and 65 strokes and relegates French Jean Bekirian and German amateur Philipp Matlari (both -16) to second place.

Alps Tour Golf

The battle went right down to the line between two Spanish players, Alejandro Del Rey and Lucas Vacarisas at the Open de la Mirabelle d’Or at the Golf de la Grange des Ormes. The final putt on the 18th secured victory for Del Rey by just one shot, his first victory since turning professional earlier this year moves to World No.953.

LATEST NEWS
VIEW ALL LATEST NEWS