Chinese No.1 Liang Wen-chong pipped Malaysia's Iain Steel in a play-off yesterday to win the Singapore Masters and chalk a rare Asian victory on the European Tour.
Liang became only the second Chinese player to win a European sanctioned tournament after Zhang Liangwei took the title in Singapore in 2003. It secures him the right to play in all European Tour events until the end of 2009.
Half a dozen players were in contention with four holes to play and they all felt the pressure, with bogeys and double bogeys littering the scorecard as the lead chopped and changed.
PHOTO: EPA
The par 16th hole created all sorts of problems and it was a case of who threw away the tournament rather than who won it.
In the end Steel made the clubhouse at 11 under par and Liang sank a nervy four-foot putt for a par on the 18th to take it to a play-off.
Steel, who has a Scottish father and a Malaysian mother, put his drive into the water on the first extra hole while Liang hit the fairway and putted out, punching the air after the biggest win of his career.
England's Simon Dyson fired a final round 71 to end one off the pace.
Four other players were a shot further back, including England's Nick Dougherty who won the tournament in 2005 and was runner-up last year.
"I double bogeyed the 15th hole which is usually easy and I wasn't expecting that, but I was very happy with the way I came back on the final few holes," said Liang, who announced he would donate his US$183,000 winners' cheque to help develop golf in China.
"I haven't decided how exactly I'm going to use it but I will donate all of it," the 29-year-old said.
"I'm very happy to be the second Chinese after Zhang to win on the European Tour and I hope that we set an example so future generations of Chinese can follow in our footsteps," he said.
Liang, who spent his childhood in Zhongshan, the home of China's first golf course in the 1980s, has played most of his career on the Asian and Japan Tours but said he would now consider heading to Europe.
"I didn't expect to win so I haven't thought much about the European Tour, but I'll definitely be thinking about it now," he said.
Steel, who spent several years playing in the US and Canada before switching to the Asian Tour last year, said he was disappointed but had learned from the experience.
"I was quite confident and had a picture in my mind off the tee in the play-off. But I just didn't execute, simple as that," said the 35-year-old.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to bring the Spaniard, who left Bournemouth at the end of this season, to Anfield. Sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in hiring Iraola during his time at Bournemouth and is again spearheading the recruitment of the highly rated coach. The Reds are
KNICKS TAKE LEAD: San Antonio put on a 9-0 run to be up 95-94 with just over 2 minutes to play, but the rest of the game belonged to the New York Knicks It was past five minutes through the third quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday and the New York Knicks’ 11-game winning streak was in major jeopardy. The Knicks missed nine of their first 10 shots in the early part of the period and trailed the San Antonio Spurs by 14 points. They were floundering. Then something crazy happened. The Knicks found new life from an unlikely source: The Spurs. New York rallied to tie the game by the end of the period, gave up the lead briefly late in the fourth quarter, and pulled away late for a 105-95
RSS