Winners on Tour: Great Scott, King Louis & Lexi romps home
PGA Tour: Honda Classic – Adam Scott
The Australian collected his 12th win on the PGA Tour as he held off Sergio Garcia in the final pairing. His last win came at The Colonial, in a play-off with Jason Dufner in May 2014, when he was the World No 1.
This week he came into the week as No 13 and with the short putter in hand and he emerged victorious by a single shot after Garcia’s closing birdie. Last week he was second behind Bubba Watson at Riviera.
The highlight of Scott’s round came from a fairway bunker at the 12th when he stiffed his 9-iron approach from exactly 150 yards to make some amends for back-to-back bogeys at 9 and 10.
On Saturday the 35-year-old had a quadruple-bogey seven on his card at the 15th, on Sunday there were no major disasters and Garcia bogeyed 16 – after a thinned chip and appalling par putt – and 17 to allow Scott a two-shot lead playing the last.
American duo Blayne Barber and Justin Thomas shared third while Graeme McDowell made it to Doral with fifth spot. Vijay Singh, 53 last week, also had a week to remember tying for sixth with Rickie Fowler.
What Scott said: “It’s amazing in a couple weeks how quickly things turn around. I’ve played really well the last couple of weeks, and a couple of those guys who were so outstanding last summer haven’t played that great. You feel like the gap is really not that big at all. So you’ve got to keep some things in perspective and not get panicky.
“But I know my window is much smaller than Jordan, Rory, Rickie, Jason and a whole list of other good, young players. So I can’t afford to sit back and just wait for it to happen. I’ve got to keep working on making it happen.”
European Tour: Perth International – Louis Oosthuizen
An eighth win on Tour for the South African as he overcame a slow start to win at Lake Karrinyup.
Oosthuizen had led by three overnight but that was down to one after a bogey at the 2nd while Jason Scrivener, who later shared the lead, and Peter Uihlein made some progress.
But back-to-back birdies at 7 and 8 put Oosthuzen three clear
and a two at the 12th and the battle was then on for second.
Alexander Levy’s back nine of five under for a 66 squeezed him ahead of Scrivener and Gregory Bourdy also had a 66 for a share of fourth with Uihlein. A third Frenchman, Romain Wattel, took sixth spot.
Oosthuizen bogeyed the last for a 71, his worst round of the week, but it was enough to move him back above his mate Branden Grace into fourth place for South African wins on the European Tour, and makes it six wins in 11 events for the Rainbow Nation this season.
What Oosthuizen said: “I missed the greens on the second and third and was a little rattled after that but I settled in nicely and went back to just hitting greens and giving myself opportunities.
“I had a good stretch seven through to 12 and settled myself there and left myself with a vicious first putt on the last but luckily I had three. I’m flying tonight and playing Doral next week so hopefully I can take a lot out of this and play well.”
LPGA Tour: Honda LPGA Thailand – Lexi Thompson
Thompson will move above Stacy Lewis into the World No 3 spot after this six-shot win in Asia. The 21-year-old now has seven victories on the LPGA Tour and her 68 left her at 20 under for the four days.
She was pushed by last year’s US Open champion In Gee Chun, who started with three birdies, to get within one and the South Korean was only two back after a Thompson bogey at the 9th.
Then, at the par-5 10th, Thompson eagled and Chun, who birdied, couldn’t close the gap. She then double-bogeyed the 17th to just stay clear of a fast-finishing Jessica Korda (64) and defending champion Amy Yang.
Thompson is the first American winner of the tournament.
Lady Golfer columnist Charley Hull finished in a tie for 30th place on one under.
What Lexi said: “I never like to count it as a win until it’s over. I just try to play aggressive and play my best out there. I was just saying I had to make birdies to win this thing. She was playing unbelievable with a three-birdie start there, and I knew I had to make birdies to stop her. I was just trying to focus on my game and nobody else’s out there.”
Ladies European Tour: RACV Ladies Masters – Jiyai Shin
The two-time Women’s British Open champion proved to be the class act in Queensland as she beat Holly Clyburn by three shots.
Shin’s closing 69 was enough though she was pushed all the way and was tied for the lead with Sweden’s Camila Lennarth just five holes to play after driving into water.
But birdies at 15, 16 and 18 moved her clear of trouble and Clyburn’s closing birdie edged her clear of Lennarth and Nicole Broch Larsen.
The former World No 1 could have played in Thailand on the more lucrative LPGA Tour but her decision was vindicated as she won at a tournament where she had previously been second.
Sixteen-year-old Korean Hye Jin Choi finished as the leading amateur in a tie for fifth.
What Shin said: “I really wanted to win this tournament because previously I came second. I really want my photo up with the past champions. I want to stay here. I love coming to Australia, it really feels like home.
“I would love to stay here! I love the pies and some beer but please keep this a secret from my trainer! It is great to win, that means I get to come back next year.”
