SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Adrian Otaegui overturned a five-shot deficit to win the China Open on Sunday, the Spanish golfer’s fifth tour title.
Otaegui had been trailing the in-form Sebastian Söderberg after Friday’s round – Saturday’s was cancelled because of thunder and lightning – and he shot 7-under 65 in his final round to win by one shot from Guido Migliozzi, who finished runner up with a 67.
“I was starting five shots back and I tried not to look at the leaderboard, not think about the result,” Otaegui said. “I knew if I had birdie chances that I could potentially hole a few. I think I was actually feeling more calm through the round.”
Sunday’s final round was played in a two-tee, three-ball format starting at 8 a.m. local time.
The No. 143-ranked Otaegui stayed flawless and holed seven birdies to finish at 18 under par overall. He earned a spot in the PGA Championship later this month.
Söderberg finished in a tie for third after starting Sunday with a bogey. The Swedish player holed four birdies but was undone by another bogey on the 15th hole and a double-bogey for par in the final round.
Söderberg finished alongside Englishman Paul Waring and Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach at 16 under.
The China Open was back on the European tour schedule after an absence of five years.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
The Associated Press
