World No. 2 Rory McIlroy sealed the US$2.75 million UBS Hong Kong Open yesterday by holing a birdie chip from a bunker on the last, keeping alive his slim hopes of denying Luke Donald an historic Order of Merit double.
A final-round 65 clinched a two-stroke victory for the Northern Irishman and the winner’s check of US$458,330 means the US Open champion still has a chance of overtaking current Race to Dubai leader Donald with victory at the season-ending Dubai World Championship this week.
McIlroy has collected 3,066,605 euros (US$4.1 million) for the season to world No. 1 Donald’s 3,856,394 euros. The event in Dubai is worth just over 930,000 euros to the winner. Englishman Donald, who has already won the US PGA Tour money list, skipped the Hong Kong event as did Germany’s Martin Kaymer, who had been placed second in the Race to Dubai until McIlroy’s heroics today.
The 22-year-old McIlroy had started the final round three strokes behind overnight leader Alvaro Quiros of Spain, but five birdies over the course, three coming while the pressure was building in the run-in to the clubhouse, ensured victory for a player who had finished runner-up here in both 2008 and 2009.
After finding the sand next to the 18th green with his approach shot, McIlory blasted up, out and into the hole to thunderous applause, while pumping his fists in celebration.
McIlroy had certainly been looking fragile over the first three days of this event — which is co-sanctioned by both the European and Asian Tours — but his stamina was never in doubt yesterday and a birdie on the par-five second set him off in just the right mood.
France’s Gregory Havret finished in second place on 10-under-par after a storming five-under 65, while Sweden’s Peter Hanson was placed third on nine-under after closing with an even-par 70.
Quiros, who had led or shared the lead in the event for all three days coming into yesterday, faded with a three-over 74 to finish on seven-under and joint-seventh.
Juvic Pagunsan’s six-under for the tournament was enough for 10th place and sealed him the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the first time a player from the Philippines has won the title.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set