DAY CLOSES IN ON SPIETH
Week 12

All weekend, Tiger Woods was texting Jason Day. The messages were always the same: Be yourself, stay in your world. Woods knows a little something about winning, especially at Bay Hill. He’s done it eight times and listen is what Day did, finishing at 17-under 271 becoming the first wire-to-wire winner (no ties) at Bay Hill since Fred Couples in 1992.

S.S.P. Chawrasia of India birdied the last hole for a one-under-par 71 to claim a popular two-shot victory over Anirban Lahiri and Jeunghun Wang at the Hero Indian Open.

Sebastian Soderberg surged to a maiden European Challenge Tour victory as he won the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open by three shots at Nairobi’s Karen Country Club


21ST MARCH 2016 | 10:13 AM

PGA Tour – Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard

Jason Day, his ball in a bunker on the 18th hole, was only thinking about how to navigate nearly 100 feet in two shots to get the par he needed to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard on Sunday.

Out of sorts with his swing all afternoon, Day delivered his best at the end.

The bunker shot came out just as he pictured, and Day made the 4-foot par putt to close with a 2-under 70 and outlast Kevin Chappell for his first win of the year.

"I was able to walk up there and have a special moment with the King," Day said. "That's something I always wanted to do."

He never imagined having to work this hard.

There was a four-man sprint over the final two hours at Bay Hill, and it was all about who made the fewest mistakes. Day got his out of the way early. He lost a two-shot lead on the front nine, recovered with a 9-iron out of the rough and over a bunker to a foot on the ninth hole for birdie, and then produced two clutch shots at the end.

Day was one shot behind Chappell, who was in trouble on the 18th hole, when he hit 5-iron to 12 feet on the par-3 17th and made birdie. Chappell made his lone bogey of the back nine on the final hole and shot 69, and then could only wait to see if Day could beat him.

"I had a chance to win, and that's all I can ask for," Chappell said after his fourth runner-up finish on the PGA TOUR, and second this season.

From a reasonable lie in the right rough on the 18th, Day took the water out of play and went into the front left bunker. With water behind him, Day blasted the ball far enough to let it roll out to just 4 feet behind the hole.

"I knew it was a good shot," he said. "It was exactly what I wanted to do."

Day, who finished at 17-under 271, became the first wire-to-wire winner (no ties) at Bay Hill since Fred Couples in 1992. His eighth career PGA TOUR victory moved him to No. 2 in the world and gave him a chance to overtake Jordan Spieth next week at the Dell Match Play.

Asian / European Tour – Hero Indian Open

S.S.P. Chawrasia of India birdied the last hole for a one-under-par 71 to claim a popular two-shot victory over Anirban Lahiri and Jeunghun Wang at the US$1.66 million Hero Indian Open on Sunday.

Chawrasia, who finished second four times prior to this win, was delighted to hold on to his overnight lead and cross the finishing line with a winning total of 15-under-par 273 in the event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

Lahiri, the reigning Asian Tour number one, missed his birdie attempt on the last for a 69 to settle for tied second place alongside Korean rising star Wang who returned with a battling 68 at the challenging Delhi Golf Club.

"Hero Indian Open - Day Four"“It is a very important day for me. I have finished second four times in the Indian Open and every time that happen to me I wondered if I would ever be able to one day be the champion. This year, I came believing I had to win. I knew that I could do it,” said Chawrasia, who won US$276,660.

It was a close and dramatic battle in the final 18 holes as numerous players came within striking distance of Chawrasia’s lead when he was one-over after 12 holes.

He rallied with a birdie on 13 and when it mattered most, produced a sublime chip on the last hole to set-up his winning three foot birdie putt. Lahiri also had a birdie chance which he missed.

“There was a lot of pressure on me on the last hole but I had to say thank God when Anirban missed his birdie putt! I played a great chip there and then when he missed I knew I would win the tournament.

Challenge Tour – Barclays Kenya Open

Sebastian Soderberg surged to a maiden European Challenge Tour victory as he won the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open by three shots at Nairobi’s Karen Country Club.

The Swede held a three shot advantage overnight and never faltered, his five under par final round of 67 – his fourth round in the 60s this week – putting him on 18 under par overall in front of the watching President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Soderberg now takes an early lead in the Road to Oman Rankings after earning 35,200 points and the 25 year old has already fulfilled one of his season aims by winning for the first time.

“It feels pretty unreal right now,” he said. “I was just trying to keep it together all day – one of my goals for the season was to win an event on the Challenge Tour, so I’ve crossed that off the list

“It gives me a good boost so I’m more excited than ever for the rest of the season, but I haven’t really had long to think about it yet, it hasn’t sunk in properly.

“I had the same approach today as the rest of the week and it worked pretty well, though I changed it on 18 a bit and took three wood, just to make sure.

“I had a slow front nine but I managed to make a few birdies around the turn and after that I just tried to keep calm and carry on – it was tough, but it feels really good now.

“The crowds and support were incredible. I missed the cut here last year so didn’t get to experience the weekend atmosphere but I’ve never known a Challenge Tour event like it, it was amazing.”

Web.com – Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER

Wesley Bryan fired a final-round, 3-under-par 68 to come from one stroke back and win the 25th annual Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER, the largest victory of his professional career.

Bryan elevated himself to the top of a crowded leaderboard when he drained a 15-foot putt for birdie on the par-4 17th hole.

“Coming into the season, I felt like I was really in good form,” said Bryan, after he collected a first-prize check worth $99,000. “I felt like I was playing really well. I felt really good coming down here.”

PGA Tour of Australasia – Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship

German David Klein has secured his maiden victory on the PGA Tour of Australasia winning the Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship in a thrilling one-hole playoff at City Golf Club in Toowoomba.

David KleinFlying under the radar for much of the week, Klein started the final round 10-under the card and trailing overnight leader Kristopher Mueck by three shots.

Klein opened his final round campaign quickly firing back-to-back birdies to make his ascension up the leaderboard, his only blemish came on the par-4 9th hole.

PGA Tour LatinoAmerica – Lexus Panama Classic

Derek Rende of Chattanooga, Tennessee proved to be a strong leader on his way to his first victory as a professional at the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’s Lexus Panama Classic on Sunday.

Overnight leader by one, Rende made a five-footer for par on the 72nd hole to shoot 3-under 69 and secure a one-stroke win over Argentina’s Emilio “Puma” Domínguez, who also shot 69 playing by his side in the last pairing.

Rende finished the second event of the season with a winning score of 12-under 276 in windy conditions at the Nicklaus-designed Buenaventura Golf Club.

“I hadn’t won a golf tournament in quite a few years now and this feels awesome,” said the 29-year-old who won the 2007 Tennessee Open and the 2008 Tennessee Amateur Championship while still a college student at UT Chattanooga.

Nordic Golf League – Mediter Real Estate Masters

A final super round gave Benjamin Poke victory in Mediter Real Estate Masters, where Daniel Løkke was second best Dane in fifth place.

Danish Benjamin Poke won the Mediter Real Estate Masters after a super round in 64 strokes, six under par. Eight under par total gave Fureso player victory with three strokes down to Finnish Mikael Salminen in second place. Daniel Løkke was second best Dane on a shared fifth place.

Benjamin Poke started the day throughout the five strokes from the leading Swede Björn Hellgren, but when Hellgren together with the other players in the driver's ball ran into several problems while Poke instead rolled a number of birdies in, then was quickly turned upside down at the position.

Nordic Golf League – PGA Catalunya Resort Championship

Rasmus Hjelm Sunday won the PGA Catalunya Resort Championship after a dramatic final round where Hjelm showed class eventually.

An overall score of six under par gave Helmet victory with three beats to a trio consisting of Peter Puhakka, Tobias Rosendahl and Christian Aronsen. On a nice shared fifth place ended among other Nicolai Tinning after the day's best round (-5), Niklas Nørgaard Møller and Jesper Lerche Dahl. Emil Søgaard was best amateur ranked number 17th

Rasmus Hjelm started the day leading the PGA Catalunya Resort, but especially Christian Aronsen and Italian Giorgio di Filippi, did its best to push Hjelm away from the lead on the day's first nine holes.

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