Wu Ashun became the first Chinese player to win a European Tour title on home soil when he beat David Howell by one stroke to capture the Volvo China Open yesterday.
The 29-year-old Wu, who plays primarily on the Japan Tour, was the steadiest player during the final round, making two birdies to just one bogey to card a 71 and finish at nine-under 279 overall.
Howell missed a five-foot par putt on the 18th that would have forced a playoff. It was just one of four bogeys for the Englishman, who also had four birdies in his round of 72.
Emiliano Grillo made a spirited run on the final day, making four birdies in five holes on the front nine and another two on the back to pull within one shot. However, his chance of winning a maiden European Tour title slipped away with a tee shot into the water on the 17th hole, leading to double bogey.
He shot a 69 to finish in a tie for third with defending champion Alexander Levy of France (73) and Prom Meesawat of Thailand (71).
Wu started the final round in a four-way tie for the lead with Howell, Levy and his countryman, Li Haotong, but most attention was on the 19-year-old Li, touted as a future golf star in China.
However, Li did not look sharp from the first hole. With hundreds of excited fans lining the green, phones poised to snap photographs, the Chinese player missed a routine four-foot par putt that caught the lip of the cup and curled away, drawing gasps from the gallery.
It was just the start of an up-and-down day for the rising star. He made a 50-foot birdie putt on the eighth hole and then a tremendous approach and nervy putt for eagle on the par-five 13th, but also missed a number of relatively easy putts from close in, the frustration apparent on his face.
He carded five bogeys yesterday — more than his first three rounds combined — and finished tied for sixth at six-under 282.
Meanwhile, Wu played a very composed round, only showing a bit of emotion when he twice missed birdie putts.
Howell had vastly more experience than the Chinese players — the 39-year-old Englishman had 523 starts on the European Tour, compared with just 26 for Wu and 13 for Li. Ten years ago in Shanghai, he also battled then-No. 1 Tiger Woods in the final round of the HSBC Champions — and won the title.
However, Howell missed when it mattered most, trying to save par on the 18th and force a playoff. When his shot skirted by the left of the hole, hundreds of Chinese fans around the Tomson Golf Club erupted in cheers for Wu.
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