DP World Tour | Northern Irish youngster McKibbin wins European Open

Northern Irish youngster McKibbin wins European Open

Tom McKibbin became the youngest Northern Irishman to win a European Tour event since Rory McIlroy with a two-shot victory at the European Open on Sunday.

The 20-year-old birdied the final hole to card a three-under-par 70 for a nine-under total in Hamburg.McKibbin, the world number 335, finished two strokes clear of France's Julien Guerrier and German pair Marcel Siem and Maximilian Kieffer.

"It probably won't sink in until tomorrow," said McKibbin.

"To have my dad here -- he comes most weeks -- is pretty special.

"To win in front of him is pretty amazing."

He grew up playing at the same Holywood golf club where four-time major champion McIlroy learned his trade.McIlroy was 19 when he won his first Tour title at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic.

Final-round scores from the European Tour's European Open in Hamburg on Sunday (par 72/GBR & IRL unless stated):

283 - Tom McKibbin 72-69-72-70

285 - Julien Guerrier (FRA) 72-74-67-72, Marcel Siem (GER) 71-73-70-71, Maximilian Kieffer (GER) 69-71-75-70

287 - Frederic Lacroix (FRA) 73-73-71-70

288 - Alexander Bjork (SWE) 72-72-69-75, John Axelsen (DEN) 77-67-69-75, Jordan Smith 70-71-72-75, David Law 75-66-72-75

290 - Paul Waring 71-72-72-75, Connor Syme 73-77-69-71, Ricardo Gouveia (POR) 76-73-70-71, Romain Langasque (FRA) 73-75-74-68

-AFP

Thrilling finale in store as six share lead in Hamburg

Six players share the lead on six under par going into the final round of the Porsche European Open, with Julien Guerrier moving into a share of first place with a Saturday 67.

The Frenchman started the day level par, but carded eight birdies on the Porsche Nord Course at Green Eagle Golf Courses in Hamburg as he set the clubhouse target of six under.

Guerrier is one of three players in a share of the lead seeking their maiden DP World Tour victories, with John Axelsen, who earned his card at Qualifying School, and Challenge Tour graduate Tom McKibbin also on six under.

Axelsen, making just his 20th start on Tour, was a member of the victorious Danish side at the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy alongside Højgaard twins Nicolai and Rasmus - who have won five DP World Tour titles between them since 2019.

Also in a share of the lead are 2017 Porsche European Open winner Jordan Smith, of England, Sweden's Alexander Björk and Scotland's David Law.

Smith will be bidding for a third DP World Tour title tomorrow, with Björk and Law both hoping to secure their second victories.

Marcel Siem leads the home charge with the aim of becoming the first German winner on home soil in 15 years.

The 42-year-old, who is just one stroke back from the leaders on five under, won his fifth DP World Tour title at the Indian Open in February, bridging an eight-and-a-half-year gap since his last victory.

- DP World Tour

Kieffer leads at midway point of Porsche European Open

Maximilian Kieffer continued to shine on home soil as he fired a second-round 71 to lead by one shot at the halfway stage of the 2023 Porsche European Open.

German Kieffer began the day with a share of the lead after opening with a four-under-par 69, and briefly reached eight under par courtesy of four front-nine birdies on Friday morning.

He then produced a stunning par save to remain there before a late double bogey saw him head into the weekend on six under, one stroke ahead of the chasing pack.

Scot David Law, England's Jordan Smith and Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin were in a tie for second on five under.

Starting from the tenth tee, Law got off to a lightning-quick start, carding an eagle and six birdies on his front nine to turn in 30.

Two more birdies and three bogeys followed on his homeward nine as the 32-year-old signed for a 66 - the lowest round of the week so far.

Smith - who won this event in 2017 - made three birdies and a solitary bogey in his second-round 71, while McKibbin finished his 69 with a birdie after finding the 18th green in two.

Overnight co-leader Kieffer started his second round at the tenth tee and opened with a close-range birdie before making back-to-back gains on the 14th and 15th.A successful seven-foot birdie effort on the 18th green took Kieffer to the turn in 34 blows and saw him reach eight under.

After missing the green on the short fifth, Kieffer managed to get up and down for par courtesy of a sensational 12-foot putt from the fringe.

Having kept his card clean for 16 holes, Kieffer dunked his tee-shot at the par-three eighth into the water and went on to make a double bogey before closing with a par.

-DP World Tour

Kieffer and Forsström share lead in Hamburg

Maximilian Kieffer produced front-nine fireworks in front of his home crowd as he began the 2023 Porsche European Open with a 69 to share the first-round lead with Simon Forsström.

The 32-year-old German star went birdie-eagle from the third hole at Green Eagle Golf Courses after draining successive monster putts from around 50 feet.

And after dropping a shot at the short fifth, he chipped in for a bounce-back birdie on the sixth before making three more birdies and two bogeys over the remaining 12 holes to reach four under par.

The only other player to break 70 in Thursday's first round was Swede Forsström, who made five birdies and a single bogey to join Kieffer at the summit.

Dutchman Joost Luiten was among the group another shot back after finishing his round with a hat-trick of birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth.

Norway's Kristian Krogh Johannessen later closed his first-round 70 with four successive birdies on the other side of the course to join Luiten, Dane Marcus Helligkilde and Englishman Jordan Smith in a tie for third.

Germany's Freddy Schott briefly took over at the top following a run of five birdies in six holes on his back nine but had to settle for a 71 after carding a late triple bogey, leaving him alongside countryman Jannik de Bruyn on two under after his hole-in-one at the short second.

After starting with back-to-back pars, Kieffer's round burst into life at the third when he converted his 53-foot birdie putt to send the crowd wild.

He then repeated the trick from 49 feet with his eagle try on the fourth hole to reach three under par.

Kieffer recovered from a dropped shot on the fifth with a sensational chip-in birdie at the sixth before taking advantage of the long ninth to lead on his own.

- DP World Tour

Late Larrazabal birdie blitz seals Dutch Open win, SA's Germishuys 3rd

Spain's Pablo Larrazabal produced a late birdie blitz to win his second title in four weeks at the Dutch Open on Sunday.

Larrazabal, 40, pulled off a big finish for a two-shot victory and a ninth European Tour title at Bernardus Golf, after also winning the Korea Championship in April.

Overnight leader Larrazabal recovered from a poor start to the final round with a series of birdies to sit in a five-way tie at the top after 12 holes.

And he finished with birdies on the 15th, 17th and 18th for a closing round of 69 and a 13 under par finish.

Fellow Spaniard Adrian Otaegui was second on 11 under after sealing his final-round 70 with a birdie.

Dane Rasmus Hojgaard and South African Deon Germishuys were in a tie for third, one stroke further back.

"It doesn't matter how fast you run at the beginning, you have to run fast at the end to win the race," said Larrazabal.

"And that's what I did. What a putt on the last. I tried to make two putts from 20 feet and suddenly I made it.

"I'm so proud of myself and so proud of my team. We struggled big time through Covid but here we are - four wins in the last 15 months. It means too much to me."

Larrazabal hopes to follow fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez who won 13 European Tour titles in his 40s.

"Hopefully I do 20 per cent of what Miguel did in his forties. This is the first win of 40." - AFP

Campillo retains control on tough day at KLM Open

Jorge Campillo displayed a battling performance to post a one under par round of 71 and take a two-stroke lead into the weekend at the KLM Open.

The Spaniard moved to ten under par but saw his lead cut from three to two as scoring conditions became tougher with the wind swirling and the sun beating down on Bernardus Golf.

However, he kept moving in the right direction and withstood the pressure applied by Italy's Renato Paratore, who carded a second successive 68.

Campillo's sublime opening 63 laid the groundwork for day two and after making the turn at level par, added a single birdie on the back nine to claim the 36-hole lead for the fifth time in his DP World Tour career.

Italian Paratore is the 36-year-old's nearest challenger on eight under par after he reeled off a trio of birdies to finish his second round.

The two-time DP World Tour winner lost his full playing privileges last year and is without a win since his triumph at the 2020 British Masters, but is well-positioned heading into the weekend at the Netherlands' national open.

Kiwi Daniel Hillier's five under par 67 was the joint low round of the day and was enough to move him into third place on seven under par, while Spanish duo Alejandro del Rey and Adrian Otaegui, England's Marcus Armitage and Swede Marcus Kinhult share fourth place on six under.

Joost Luiten continues to fly the Dutch flag for the home contingent, posting a level par 72 to join the group of nine players on five under.

- DP World Tour

Forsstrom wins maiden title by one shot

Sweden's Simon Forsstrom overcame late nerves to capture a maiden DP World Tour title with a one-shot victory over compatriot Jens Dantorp at the Soudal Open on Sunday.

The 34-year-old built up a three-shot lead by the turn before a double bogey at the 10th was followed by another dropped shot on the 12th.

However, he recovered with birdie putts at the 14th, 16th and 17th to take a one-shot lead down the last.He then parred the 18th to sign for a closing 69 and 17 under par for the tournament.

Dantorp finished alone in second on 16 under following his closing 67 with Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen two shots further back in third.

"I think the course suits me very well, it's pretty tight and short," said Forsstrom.

"I won on the Challenge Tour in Belgium. It's pretty similar to Sweden, the trees and the grass, so I think I feel very at home here.

"I hope to keep proving myself, this wasn't one time."

- AFP

Leading final scores in the DP World Tour (European Tour) Soudal Open at Rinkven International GC in Antwerp, Belgium, on Sunday (GBR/IRL unless stated, Par 71):

267 - Simon Forsstrom (SWE) 64-67-67-69

268 - Jens Dantorp (SWE) 65-69-67-67

270 - Thorbjoern Olesen (DEN) 68-67-69-66

271 - Matthew Southgate 69-70-64-68, Alexander Bjoerk (SWE) 66-69-69-67, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 68-70-64-69

272 - Richie Ramsay 68-68-66-70, Thomas Detry (BEL) 67-66-66-73, James Morrison 65-69-70-68

273 - Daniel Bradbury 69-70-66-68, Aaron Cockerill (CAN) 70-70-66-67, Kim Yeong-Su (KOR) 72-64-67-70, Ryo Hisatsune (JPN) 66-71-67-69, Andrew Wilson 65-71-66-71

Simon Forsström leads in Belgium

Simon Forsström remained in charge of the 2023 Soudal Open after holding off the challenge of home favourite Thomas Detry in round three.

Swede Forsström fired a flawless, four-under-par 67 to reach 15 under and sit one ahead of Belgian Detry, who shot a 66.

It was tight at the top throughout the day with Jens Dantorp sharing the lead for much of it. He is in a tie for third with Julien Brun while Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Richie Ramsay and Andrew Wilson are one shot further back.

Detry had been two behind at the start of the day and a poor tee-shot to the second threatened to derail him but he saved par from 20 feet after dipping a sockless foot into the hazard to play his second.

That settled any nerves and he got going after taking advantage of the par-five fifth for his first birdie of the day before making it two in a row when he rolled in a tricky downhill putt from 11 feet at the sixth.

He gave himself a good look for another gain at the seventh but the putt slipped by and Detry remained in a five-strong group at 11 under par.

Up ahead, Dantorp, who had birdied the first and the fifth, was the first to hit 12 under, smashing his tee-shot at the short par-four eighth in close and sinking the putt for eagle.

Detry soon joined him when he played the eighth, taking two putts from the back of the green for birdie.

Forsström, the overnight leader, joined the party when he reached the eighth and walked off with his first birdie of the day.

Detry missed birdie putts at the 10th and 11th and his patience was tested even more when the hooter sounded due to a threat of lightning when he was on the 12th, where an even shorter birdie attempt stayed out.

The players were off the course for more than 90 minutes and it was Forsström who got his nose back in front after the restart, rolling in a birdie at the 13th.

But Detry replied straight away, spinning his approach to the 14th to four feet and making no mistake with the putter.

Dantorp made it a three-way tie again when he reached 13 under with a birdie at the 16th but Detry's drive to the same hole landed just short of the green and he took two with the putter to hit 14 under.

Forsström refused to go away though and walked off 16 with a birdie of his own and they were two ahead when Dantorp scrapped his way to a bogey at the 17th after a poor drive.

Detry's tee shot at the penultimate hole, off to the left, put him in trouble too but he kept his card clean with a classy up-and-down.He was playing catch-up once more though when Forsström holed a birdie putt from just off the front of the 17th.

Meronk wins in Rome after thrilling finale

Adrian Meronk held his nerve in a breathless back-nine battle to win the Italian Open.  

The Pole kept his composure to hold off French duo Romain Langasque and Julien Guerrier at Marco Simone Golf & Country club to win by one shot and moves to fourth in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

Meronk, who holed the winning putt at the Hero Cup in January, lifted his third DP World Tour title and boosted the 29-year-old's hopes of qualifying for the Ryder Cup, which will take place at this course later this year in September.  

Meronk and Langasque duelled on the back nine, while overnight leader Guerrier kept in touch with them in a thrilling finale.

The Pole edged ahead on the 16th hole with his fifth birdie of the day and holed a par putt from the edge of the green on the 17th.  

Langasque's challenge had appeared to have faltered with a bogey on the 16th, but he stunningly chipped in for a birdie on the penultimate hole to keep the pressure on.  

But the Pole would not falter as he birdied the 18th to sign for a 69 and finish one shot clear of Langasque, with Guerrier a further two back.

- DP World Tour

Pavon maintains lead as SA's Lawrence hits ace

Matthieu Pavon remains the man to catch at the halfway stage of the Italian Open after finishing his second round with a monster birdie putt to take a two-shot lead into the weekend.

The Frenchman began the day two shots clear at the top of the leaderboard after posting his lowest-ever DP World Tour round on Thursday, but found scoring somewhat trickier on Friday despite making a lightning-quick start.

Beginning at the tenth tee, Pavon made a hat-trick of birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th but carded three bogeys - on the 14th, 17th and eighth - before getting his next birdie at the ninth.

His closing gain was worth the wait, though, as the 30-year-old curled in his 57-foot effort to reach nine under par.

None of the afternoon starters were able to match Pavon's midway total, with his countryman Julien Guerrier and Adrian Otaegui his nearest challengers on seven under.

Guerrier made five birdies and three bogeys in his 69, while Otaegui notched an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys as he signed for a 67.

The crowds at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club were treated to two aces on Friday, with Thriston Lawrence winning a brand new DS 4 car at the seventh, and Shubhankar Sharma making a hole-in-one on the par-three 17th.

- DP World Tour

Pavon achieves personal milestone to lead in Rome

Matthieu Pavon fired the lowest round of his DP World Tour career on Thursday as a stunning 63 saw him open up a two-shot lead at the Italian Open.

The Frenchman opened with a sensational round, carding nine birdies and a single bogey to reach eight under par.

Pavon turned in 29 after reeling off six birdies on the front nine before adding three more gains and one bogey down the stretch.

"Nothing bad to say about today. I was really, really solid off the tee, probably only missed two fairways today - and every time it was by a few inches," said Pavon.

"The putting was amazing also. I dropped a lot of putts. I think I probably made nine putts on my front nine, which is quite funny. Everything was just excellent today.

"I was not really sure about a low, low score like this. I knew I could do great, but that great (63), I'm a bit surprised."

Maximilian Kieffer was alone in second on six under after making an eagle, five birdies and one bogey in his 65.

- DP World Tour

Pablo Larrazábal emerges victorious after thrilling final round in South Korea

Pablo Larrazábal won the 2023 Korea Championship by two shots after producing a back-nine birdie blitz to see off a high-quality chasing pack.

A tight battle unfolded at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea on Sunday afternoon, with Larrazábal finding himself in a five-way share of the lead on nine under when he reached the turn following two front-nine birdies.

The Spaniard slipped from the summit after dropping his first shot of the round at the tenth but roared back, making four birdies in the next five holes to open up a three-shot lead.

He then safely parred his way home to complete a closing 67, finish the tournament on 12 under par and claim an eighth DP World Tour title just a couple of weeks before his 40th birthday.

Dane Marcus Helligkilde signed for a fourth-round 68 to finish in solo second on ten under, one clear of home favourite Park Sanghyun, Spain's Jorge Campillo, Dutchman Joost Luiten and Scotland's Scott Jamieson.

Larrazábal went into the final round one shot off the lead having bogeyed the 17th when he returned to complete his third round on Sunday morning.

But he took advantage of both of the front nine's par fives - the third and seventh - in round four to share the lead at the turn.

After starting the back nine with a disappointing bogey, Larrazábal bounced back with two consecutive birdies from around five feet at the 11th and 12th to grab the outright lead on ten under.

He created another good chance at the par-three 13th but was unable to convert his 15-foot putt.

A successful 20-foot birdie effort on the 14th green stretched Larrazábal's lead to two strokes before he got a lucky break at the 15th.

His tee-shot appeared to be going out of bounds but a fortuitous bounce sent the ball back down the slope and onto the cart path.

He made the most of his break, using his second shot to get the ball back in play before lifting his approach to two feet to set up a bonus birdie.

Holding a three-shot lead with three holes remaining, Larrazábal safely parred the 16th and 17th before finishing his round with another par on the last to clinch the trophy.

Larrazábal felt his performance in windy conditions on Saturday contributed greatly to his victory.

He said: "Yesterday was a battle. I actually didn't look at the leaderboard too much yesterday because I knew that it was a long road and it was all about keeping the ball in the best spots that I could putt or chip from."

"To shoot one under par yesterday was amazing. Obviously I was a little bit disappointed this morning to finish bogey-par in yesterday's round.

"But I love to compete, I love to fly out here, to see all these young guys hitting it miles and try to beat them.

"And that's what makes me the happiest guy in the world."

- DP World Tour website

Final leading scores Sunday after the fourth round of the DP World Tour's Korea Championship at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, Incheon, South Korea (KOR unless stated, par 72):

276 - Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 68-70-71-67

278 - Marcus Helligkilde (DEN) 70-72-68-68

279 - Scott Jamieson (SCO) 73-65-71-70, Park Sang-hyun 67-69-73-70, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 69-72-73-65, Joost Luiten (NED) 73-66-75-65

280 - Robert Macintyre (SCO) 69-70-69-72, Clement Sordet (FRA) 73-69-70-68, Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 72-65-75-68

281 - Kang Kyung-nam 71-68-72-70, Andy Sullivan (ENG) 67-75-71-68, Lee Jung-hwan 71-70-72-68, Ko Jeong-weon (FRA) 72-70-72-67

282 - Guido Migliozzi (ITA) 74-70-75-63, Bae Sang-moon 69-73-70-70, Kim Jae-ho 71-73-70-68, Alexander Bjork (SWE) 68-73-75-66, Gavin Green (USA) 72-71-72-67, Wang Jeung-hun 70-73-72-67, Daniel Gavins (ENG) 74-70-71-67

MacIntyre, Larrazábal lead after weather-affected Korea Championship

Robert MacIntyre overcame tricky conditions to grab a share of the lead before play was suspended due to fading light on the weather-affected third day of the Korea Championship.

After morning fog and rain caused the afternoon tee times to be pushed back by two hours and 15 minutes, MacIntyre and co. played their third rounds in strong winds, with no-one able to keep their cards clean as Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea really showed its teeth.

But that did not faze the Scot, who seemed to be holding his own shot-of-the-day competition as a series of tremendous wedge shots helped him sign for a 69 just before the daylight ran out.

MacIntyre heads into day four on eight under par, tied at the top of the leaderboard alongside Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal, who has two holes to complete when play resumes at 08:00 local time on Sunday morning.

Halfway co-leader Park Sanghyun was in a tie for third, one shot behind the leaders, after making three birdies and four bogeys in his first 14 holes.

Scotland's Scott Jamieson was also on seven under, having made two birdies and one bogey in his third-round 71.

- DP World Tour

Herbert edges Cockerill for DP Tour win in Japan

Australia's Lucas Herbert beat Canada's Aaron Cockerill in a playoff to win the ISPS Handa Championship on Sunday in the Europe-based DP World Tour's first event in Japan.

Herbert claimed his third victory on the tour after sinking a birdie on the second extra hole to finally shake off Cockerill at Ishioka Golf Club in Omitama, near Tokyo.

The Australian arrived in Japan late and trailed Cockerill by one shot heading into the final day, but made his intentions clear with an eagle on the fifth hole.

Cockerill hauled himself back into contention with a superb bunker shot on the 18th hole to finish level with Herbert on 15-under.

But the Australian had the last laugh in the playoff, recovering from a wayward tee shot on the second extra hole to hole out from 12 feet.

Scotland's Calum Hill finished alone in third on 14-under, one shot ahead of compatriot Grant Forrest and Japan's Hiroshi Iwata.

- AFP

Trio tied for the lead in Omitama, Japan

Grant Forrest shot the low round of the week to join Lucas Herbert and Jazz Janewattananond at the top of the ISPS HANDA-Championship leaderboard after round two.

The Scot drained a monster birdie putt at the eighth - his penultimate hole - before making a closing gain from around ten feet to sign for a 62 and join early starters Janewattananond and Herbert at 10 under par.

Thailand's Janewattananond also finished in style at PGM Ishioka Golf Club, making five birdies over the last seven holes, including three in a row from the 16th, in his round of 63. 

Australian Herbert, whose arrival into Japan was delayed by travel issues, also recorded a round of 63, which contained nine birdies and two bogeys.

Germany's Maximilian Kieffer was in solo fourth, one shot behind the leaders on nine under after his 65.

Takumi Kanaya was the leading Japanese player on eight under, alongside England's Jordan Smith and South African Deon Germishuys. 

Four-time Major Champion Ernie Els put on a show over the closing stretch, following a birdie on the 15th by holing his bunker shot for an eagle on the 16th to reach four under and safely make the cut.

The South African legend's magic on 16 helped the ISPS HANDA Eagle Pledge tally, with $1 000 being donated to the G4D Tour for every eagle made this week. 

- DP World Tour

Kim and Sullivan share the lead in Japan

Andy Sullivan and Kim Yeongsu posted opening 63s to lead the way after the first round of the 2023 ISPS Handa - Championship.

Four-time DP World Tour champion Sullivan fired eight birdies at PGM Ishioka Golf Club on Thursday, with his only blemish a bogey on the seventh.

South Korean Kim, the KPGA's 2022 Genesis Point Award winner, produced a flawless first round containing seven birdies to join Sullivan on seven under par, as the DP World Tour hosted its first regular season event in Japan, alongside the Japan Golf Tour Organisation. 

Englishman Sullivan started from the tenth tee and made birdies at the 12th, 15th, 16th and 18th to reach the turn in 31.

He then reeled off a hat-trick of birdies from the third before recovering from a bogey on the seventh with a closing gain from around eight feet.

Kim picked up his first birdie of the day at the fourth before catching fire around the turn, as he reeled off six birdies in eight holes from the ninth for a share of the lead.

Swede Alexander Björk, Canada's Aaron Cockerill and South African Deon Germishuys were one shot behind the leaders in a three-way tie for third.

Home favourites Keita Nakajima, Yosuke Asaji and Ryutaro Nagano were then on five under alongside South African Jacques Kruyswijk, Swede Sebastian Söderberg, Brad Kennedy of Australia, New Zealand's Daniel Hillier and Marcel Schneider of Germany.

- DP World Tour

Breakthrough for Baldwin in SDC Championship

England’s Matthew Baldwin claimed his first victory in his 200th start on the DP World Tour when he won the SDC Championship, which is co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, by seven strokes at St Francis Links on Sunday.

Baldwin closed with a 68 to win on 18 under par and dedicated his victory to his late stepfather.

“It’s been a tough 12 months. My stepdad died last May, and this is for him,” he said.

Spain’s Adri Arnaus took second place on 11 under par with a final round of 67, while Jaco Ahlers finished as the leading South African in tied third place on 10 under par with a final-round 68.“It’s unbelievable,” a relieved Baldwin said of his win.

“It’s my 200th start so I’ve had plenty of opportunities. It’s just an unbelievable feeling right now.”

It was a long weekend of golf for the field, and which Baldwin managed superbly.

The wind that forced the suspension of the earlier rounds meant the third round had to be carried over into Sunday morning, with Baldwin finishing this with a solid 65, which lifted him to 14 under par overall.

The Englishman had a four-stroke lead over Norway’s Kristian Krogh Johannessen going into the final round and was never challenged.

"I played well all week. I was so steady out there, and I think that maybe put the pressure on those around me to try and play more attacking golf, and I was fortunate to come out on the right side of it."

It also comes at a good time for him both professionally and personally.

"It certainly makes the rest of the year more relaxing. I can plan a schedule. I'm also due to get married this year or the next, so I'll be able to have a couple of weeks off to help plan that, which is exciting."

But the ultimate reward is the confidence this win has brought him.

"It proves a lot to me. It proves that I'm good enough to be out here. I've had plenty of doubt, and this proves everything to me." –

Final Scores:

270 - Matthew Baldwin 70 67 65 68

277 - Adri Arnaus 72 68 70 67

278 - Ewen Ferguson 72 70 68 68, Jaco Ahlers 78 64 68 68, Antoine Rozner 72 68 70 68, Jens Dantorp 74 63 71 70, Kristian Krogh Johannessen 67 66 73 72

279 - Matthieu Pavon 75 69 68 67

280 - Thomas Aiken 72 70 69 69, Keenan Davidse 72 69 71 68, Joost Luiten 69 71 67 73, Daniel Brown 70 70 67 73, Albert Venter 70 67 72 71

281 - Thriston Lawrence 72 68 68 73, Connor Syme 68 72 72 69, Jaco Prinsloo 72 72 69 68, John Catlin 71 67 74 69

282 - Matthew Southgate 74 69 70 69, Jbe' Kruger 73 69 71 69, Nick Bachem 69 72 70 71, Tom McKibbin 76 65 72 69, David Ravetto 67 72 71 72

283 - Niklas Norgaard 76 66 70 71, Nacho Elvira 74 68 71 70, Jordan Smith 73 69 74 67, Casey Jarvis 73 69 70 71, Ross Fisher 71 67 70 75, Anton Karlsson 73 71 71 68, Julien Brun 69 67 75 72

284 - Louis de Jager 71 72 70 71, Jean Hugo 72 67 75 70285 - Trevor Fisher Jnr 73 69 68 75, Jeong Weon Ko 76 66 67 76, Oliver Bekker 72 71 70 72, Daniel van Tonder 75 68 76 66, James Kamte 71 70 71 73, Dale Whitnell 73 71 67 74, Shaun Norris 74 70 66 75, Brandon Stone 72 72 66 75, Hennie Otto 73 71 70 71

286 - Gavin Green 72 70 70 74, Jaco Van Zyl 74 69 72 71, Zander Lombard 71 72 71 72, Yeongsu Kim 74 70 71 71, Richie Ramsay 73 67 75 71, Bryce Easton 73 71 72 70287 - Dylan Naidoo 75 68 70 74, Dylan Mostert 73 70 69 75, Louis Albertse 70 73 70 74, Luca Filippi 73 71 74 69, Luke Jerling 78 66 69 74, Ruan Korb 71 73 67 76

288 - Aaron Cockerill 77 66 73 72, Neil Schietekat 73 71 70 74289 - Alexander Levy 70 72 75 72

290 - Robin Sciot-Siegrist 71 72 81 66, Justin Harding 71 70 74 75291 - Rafa Cabrera Bello 73 67 70 81, Todd Clements 71 73 73 74

292 - Sean Cronje 69 73 77 73, Andy Sullivan 72 72 73 75294 - George Coetzee 72 71 74 77, Keagan Thomas 79 64 77 74, Sami Valimaki 70 70 74 80

295 - CJ du Plessis 74 69 79 73, Merrick Bremner 71 72 78 74298 - Luke Brown 75 69 78 76

RTD - Hurly Long 74 68 74 RTD 

- – Michael Vlismas

Luiten, Brown share clubhouse lead at St Francis

Joost Luiten and Daniel Brown both made it into the clubhouse shortly before dark at the end of a long day in the SDC Championship and secured themselves a share of the clubhouse lead at St Francis Links.

The suspended second round was completed on Saturday morning, with Norway’s Kristian Johannessen finishing as the leader on 11 under par.

The field then went straight into the third round, which was unable to be completed because of fading light.  

But Luiten and Brown both managed to finish their rounds with respective 67s for the clubhouse lead on nine under par, while Johannessen and Matthew Baldwin share the on-course lead on 11 under par.  

Johannessen is level par for his round through 13 holes, and Baldwin is four under for his round through 13 holes.  

Luiten felt he could’ve done better than his 67 on a day when his putter held him back.  

“It was a good 11 holes and then the putter just went cold on the last seven holes. I gave myself a lot of chances and nothing went in so I’m a bit annoyed with that. I hit the ball lovely but it’s hard to hole putts on these greens. You’ve got to stay patient.”  

But a bogey-free round helped to soothe some of those frustrations.  

“No bogeys on the scorecard is good. It was a good day overall. You know, five under on the Saturday is always a good score. But I think it could’ve been a couple better. I just need to see if I can drop some putts in the final round and put some pressure on the leaders.”  

Brown was very pleased with his 67.  

“It was really solid. I didn’t do a lot wrong and it was just really steady. I still had 11 holes to go this morning and then I just kept feeling confident. It’s been pretty tough this week with the stop-start rounds. But it’s going to be nice to have the buzz of having a chance in the final round.”

- Michael Vlismas  

Spain's Campillo leads Kenya Open by one, SA's Schaper slips to third

Jorge Campillo will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the 2023 Magical Kenya Open Presented by Absa after finishing with four successive birdies on Saturday.

The Spaniard began the day five shots off the lead but charged through the field with a flawless 63 which contained eight birdies, setting the early clubhouse target at 13 under par.

The two-time DP World Tour winner was nearly overtaken at the top of the leaderboard in dramatic fashion as Scotland's Robert MacIntyre almost holed his approach at the 18th for an albatross.

MacIntyre's wedge shot hit the hole before running around ten feet past, and although he was unable to convert his eagle putt, the 2022 DS Automobiles Italian Open winner made a closing birdie to sit alone in second, one stroke behind Campillo.

SA's Jayden Schaper and Masahiro Kawamura were then in a tie for third on 11 under. Campillo made a bright start on day three, notching birdies at the third, fifth and ninth to turn in 33 blows.

After taking advantage of the short 11th, 36-year-old Campillo earned a share of the lead with a hat-trick of birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th.

And he produced a great up-and-down from a bunker at the last to make it four birdies in a row. Campillo's 63 was the joint-lowest round of the week and gives him a slender advantage heading into Sunday.

He said: "It was a great round. I played really solid and was able to make a few long putts as well, that helps. 

"I finished great. Four birdies in a row to finish and I didn’t have a chance to make any bogeys. It was a comfortable round. I hit it very solid and I putted great, so everything worked out really good.

"I’m glad that I’ve won twice, otherwise I’d be quite nervous. Since I know how hard it is to win I just need to have a good day tomorrow and hope nobody else plays great like I did today. 

"It’s not going to be easy, I’m going to try and keep playing the way I have been and see if I can make the putts."

MacIntyre made five birdies on the front nine at Muthaiga Golf Club, with his only blemish before the turn a bogey at the third. After curling in his tricky eagle putt at the long tenth, MacIntyre bogeyed the 16th before tapping in for a birdie on the last.

Speaking about his near miss on the 18th, MacIntyre said: "Mike (caddie Mike Thomson) was adamant I should stay in the middle of the green but I had a wedge in my hand - I'm not really backing away from a pin with a wedge.

"That's the way I play golf and it was just good to see it be up there close."  

- DP World Tour.

Spain's Elviro leads Kenya Open, SA's Schaper shares second spot

Nacho Elvira will take a one-stroke lead into the weekend at the Kenya Open after shooting an eagle on the final hole to cap a six-under par round of 65.

The Spaniard started the day three strokes off the lead and fell further behind after a bogey on the fourth hole.

But the 36-year-old, whose sole DP World Tour victory came at the 2021 Cazoo Open, recovered with two birdies before the turn on the seventh and eighth holes.

He carded his third birdie of the day on the 10th and then recorded five success pars before finishing birdie-birdie-eagle to card a 10-under par total, sitting one stroke ahead of a trio of golfers on nine under. Sharing second place are Germany’s South Africa's Jayden Schaper, Germany's Nick Bachem and Ryo Hisatsune of Japan.

Hisatsune carded the lowest round of the day at Muthaiga Golf Club as he signed for an eight under par 63.

Three-time DP World Tour winner John Catlin shares fifth place with Masahiro Kawamura of Japan and Spain’s Borja Virto.

Leading the home charge is Mutahi Kibugu, the only Kenyan golfer to make the cut in this year’s event.

The 21-year-old follows in the footsteps of his younger brother Njoroge, who made the cut last year.

Kibugu delighted the home crowds with a birdie on the 18th as he signed for a level par round of 71, sitting in a share of 36th place on three under.  

"Every time you’re leading it's the best position to be in. I feel like I've been playing good, even at the beginning of the year when I was missing cuts but I felt like the game was still there. Maybe a couple more putts dropped the last few days and that makes it a good score," Elvira said.

"I didn't look at the leaderboard (before starting). We had a game plan, we tried to stick to it. We tried to enjoy the moment, I’ve been struggling. It's my caddie's first week with me, I've been struggling trying to enjoy myself on the golf course and I’m trying to do that at the moment."   

SA's Schaper added: "Last minute invite on the Sunday, sitting at home not knowing if I was going to play. I've been playing some good golf, I'm very happy to be here and it’s nice to put some good rounds together and get off to a good start.

"I've got my dad on the bag, I’m feeling good. I know the golf course, everything to gain, nothing to lose. I just have to get out there, have some fun and hit some good golf shots."

- DP World Tour

SA's Mostert shares lead at Kenya Open

South Africa's Dylan Mostert and America's John Catlin share the first round lead at the Kenya Open pafter carding seven under par rounds of 64.

Mostert, who won the Nelson Mandela Bay Championship on the European Challenge Tour just a fortnight ago, set the early pace at Muthaiga Golf Club as the South African carded eight birdies and one bogey.

Three-time DP World Tour winner Catlin raced out the blocks, making the turn at six under par, needing just 29 strokes, with four birdies and an eagle at the par five 18th, his ninth hole.

The American finished his round with eight pars and a fifth birdie of the day at the par four sixth to join Mostert at the top of the leaderboard. One stroke behind on six under par are Wil Besseling, of the Netherlands, and Frenchman Pierre Pineau on six under par.

Besseling carded eight birdies in his round of 65, with Pineau carding four birdies and an eagle.

Sharing fifth on five under are Germany’s Nick Bachem, Gavin Green of Malaysia, South African Casey Jarvis, Englishman Tom Murray and Spaniard Borja Virto.

"I'm very pleased," Mostert said. "I played very solid today, kept the momentum going throughout the round. Made some good putts, hit a lot of greens. The greens are small, so if you’re hitting greens you’re going to have a lot of chances. I manage to make a few putts, I'll just keep doing the same thing. I’m excited for tomorrow.

"The greens are quite soft in the morning, they definitely firm up throughout the day. As soon as the wind picks up and the heat gets up they firm up and get faster, much tougher. It’s definitely an advantage to play early in the morning."

Catlin added: "I'm very pleased. I feel like I left some out there on my back nine. I got off to a really hot start and just made some bad swings, I didn't take advantage of the par fives and hit a really bad lay-up on seven. It was a god round of golf, I left a few out there for sure.

"A nice way to build some momentum. I feel like I've been close, just a poor swing here, misjudgement here, that’s all it takes out here. It's very fine margins. I was able to take two weeks off, put some work in on my game and it feels like it’s starting to pay off, so I’m really excited about that."

- DP World Tour

Indian summer for veteran German Siem

Veteran German Marcel Siem held his nerve at the Hero Indian Open to win his first World Tour event in more than eight years by a single shot on Sunday.

The 42-year-old was a stroke ahead of countryman Yannik Paul going into the final hole, but missed the fairway with his second shot to set up a nerve-racking finish.

He made his par to win the tournament at the DLF Golf and Country Club near New Delhi, dropped his putter and threw his cap to the ground in celebration.

"My goal was to be as calm as possible but that lie was horrible on the last so it got the heart rate going up for sure," he said.

It was his first World Tour win in eight years and 116 days.

He had taken four titles between 2004 and 2014 but had to go back to qualifying school in November to secure his tour card.

He is now enjoying an Indian summer to his career, with five top-20 finishes in his previous six events.

"This means a lot because two years ago I wasn't even sure if I could still compete on the DP World Tour and now I'm a winner again," he said.

"I was gone - lost my card, Challenge Tour, Q School - thank you so much to my whole family and my team, my sponsors."I've worked really hard. It's crazy. A second kick-start for my career."

He started the day one behind Paul. A birdie at the fourth brought him level and two more immediately after the turn took him ahead, before a two-shot turnaround on the 13th brought the Germans back to level pegging.

But a 15-foot birdie at the 15th gave Siem a lead he never relinquished.

It was a second consecutive runner-up spot for Paul, 28, who was five shots ahead of his closest pursuer after the second round but lost momentum with a 71 on Saturday.

Dutchman Joost Luiten, 37, carded a four-under 68 on Sunday to come third -- also repeating his finishing position at last week's Thailand Classic.

- AFP

Leading final-round scores on Sunday in the DP World Tour Hero Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club near New Delhi (par 72):

274 - Marcel Siem (GER) 69-70-67-68

275 - Yannik Paul (GER) 65-69-71-70

276 - Joost Luiten (NED) 70-70-68-68

280 - Jorge Campillo (ESP) 73-71-67-69, Kazuki Higa (JPN) 75-66-71-68

281 - Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 73-72-66-70, Alexander Knappe (GER) 73-71-71-66

282 - Simon Forsstrom (SWE) 71-72-72-67, Gavin Green (MAS) 72-70-73-67

283 - Angel Hidalgo (ESP) 72-73-67-71, Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 72-73-69-69, Ryo Hisatsune (JPN) 75-71-69-68

284 - Veer Ahlawat (IND) 73-70-68-73, Euan Walker (SCO) 76-70-68-70, Jayden Schaper (RSA) 72-71-71-70, Shubhankar Sharma (IND) 68-74-74-68, Santiago Tarrio (ESP) 70-71-75-68

285 - Masahiro Kawamura 71-71-73-70, Ko Jeong-weon (FRA) 75-71-74-65

Paul clings to Hero Indian Open lead

Yannik Paul will have to fend off two men with a combined ten DP World Tour wins after seeing his lead cut to just one stroke after the third round of the Hero Indian Open.

The German entered moving day with a five-shot advantage but he left the door ajar with a one under 71 on day three, allowing countryman Marcel Siem to apply the pressure with a five under par 67 to move just one stroke back of Paul’s 11 under par lead.

Paul, who won his maiden DP World Tour title at last year’s Mallorca Golf Open, was two over through his first three holes on day three but bounced back with three birdies on the spin between the sixth and the eighth to make the turn at one under.

The 28-year-old then responded to his only dropped shot of the back nine with a birdie on the 17th to ensure he remained the man to catch with 18 holes to play.

Germany’s Siem, who won the most recent of his four DP World Tour titles at the 2014 BMW Masters, manoeuvred into position to contend for what would be a memorable return to the winner’s circle with just a single dropped shot during his third round.

The 42-year-old finished with back-to-back birdies, the second of which was met with huge fist-pump in front of the onlooking crowds at DLF Golf and Country Club.

Six-time DP World Tour winner Joost Luiten, of the Netherlands, added his name to the Sunday showdown after posting a third round 68 to move into third on eight under par and complete the final group.

Three shots back in a tie for fourth is leading Indian Veer Ahlawat, Spain’s Jorge Campillo and last week’s Thailand Classic winner Thorbjørn Olesen, whose six under par 66 was the low round of the day.

Leading third-round scores on Saturday in the DP World Tour Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi (par 72):

205 - Yannik Paul (GER) 65-69-71

206 - Marcel Siem (GER) 69-70-67

208 - Joost Luiten (NED) 70-70-68

211 - Veer Ahlawat (IND) 73-70-68, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 73-71-67, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 73-72-66

212 - Angad Cheema (IND) 68-71-73, Angel Hidalgo (ESP) 72-73-67, Kazuki Higa (JPN) 75-66-71

213 - Honey Baisoya (IND) 66-74-73, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 72-70-71

214 - Chase Hanna (USA) 73-74-67, Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 72-73-69, Euan Walker (SCO) 76-70-68, Jayden Schaper (RSA) 72-71-71

215 - Ryo Hisatsune (JPN) 75-71-69, Frederic Lacroix (FRA) 74-70-71, John Axelsen (DEN) 74-72-69, Alexander Knappe (GER) 73-71-71, Alex Fitzpatrick (ENG) 75-69-71, Alejandro Canizares (ESP) 71-73-71, Simon Forsstrom (SWE) 71-72-72, Gavin Green (MAS) 72-70-73, Masahiro Kawamura (JPN) 71-71-73, Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 67-72-76, Adrien Saddier (FRA) 73-68-74, Yashas Chandra (IND) 71-71-73

- DP World Tour

Paul pulls clear at Hero Indian Open

Yannik Paul extended his lead at the Hero Indian Open to five strokes after posting a three under par round of 69 on day two at DLF Golf and Country Club. 

The German led by one after 18 holes but pulled away from the pack on day two as he reached ten under par to continue his quest for a second DP World Tour title. 

The 28-year-old finished second at last week's Thailand Classic and has shown no signs of slowing down, with just a single bogey the only blemish on an otherwise clean second round scorecard as he set the target early in the day, which proved unassailable after 36 holes. 

Scoring proved to be more difficult on day two in New Delhi as Finland's Mikko Korhonen moved into a share of second place after posting a level par 72.

He is joined on five under par by Iceland's Gudmundur Kristjansson, four-time DP World Tour winner Marcel Siem and local favourite Angad Cheema, who is the leading Indian player. 

The low round of the day went to Japan's Kazuki Higa as he carded the first and only bogey-free round of the week so far, with six birdies contributing to a fine 66 on the picturesque but tricky Gary Player designed layout. 

There were 66 players who made the cut on four over par.

- DP World Tour

Leading second-round scores on Friday in the DP World Tour Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi (par 72):

134 - Yannik Paul (GER) 65-69

139 - Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 67-72, Gudmundur Kristjansson (ISL) 68-71, Marcel Siem (GER) 69-70, Angad Cheema (IND) 68-71

140 - Honey Baisoya (IND) 66-74, Joost Luiten (NED) 70-70

141 - Yuvraj Sandhu (IND) 70-71, Santiago Tarrio (ESP) 70-71, Adrien Saddier (FRA) 73-68, Kazuki Higa (JPN) 75-66, Andrew Wilson (ENG) 71-70

142 - Jens Fahrbring (SWE) 71-71, Shubhankar Sharma (IND) 68-74, Yashas Chandra (IND) 71-71, Gavin Green (MAS) 72-70, Masahiro Kawamura (JPN) 71-71, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 72-70

143 - Manu Gandas (IND) 70-73, Veer Ahlawat (IND) 73-70

Paul surges ahead in Delhi

Yannik Paul produced a red-hot finish to storm into a one-stroke lead after the first day of the Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club.

The German finished with four straight birdies to post a seven under par round of 65 and usurp India’s Honey Baisoya, who had earlier set the target at six under with a sweet 66 in New Delhi.

Paul, who won his first DP World Tour title at last year’s Mallorca Golf Open, opened with a bogey on the par four first hole but he bounced straight back at the second before another birdie at the ninth sparked him into life.

Further gains arrived at the tenth and 13th before that closing quartet of birdies placed him as the man to catch with darkness, bringing an end to the opening day. 

The 28-year-old arrived in India after securing a second placed finish at last week's Thailand Classic, and his opening effort showed serious signs of a continuation of that form as he enters his sixth week on the road.

Finland’s Mikko Korhonen currently sits third on five under par while Iceland’s Gudmundur Kristjansson shares fourth place with Indian duo Angad Cheema and Shubhankar Sharma, a two-time DP World Tour winner, with Germany’s Marcel Siem a shot further back in seventh.

Baisoya, Cheema and Sharma are three of six Indian players inside the top ten as the local fan favourites made a strong start to their national open.

The first round will resume at 7:50am local time at DLF Golf and Country Club, with no change to round two tee times.

- DP World Tour

Leading first-round scores on Thursday in the PGA European Tour Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi (darkness halted play, par 72):

65 - Paul Yannik (GER)

66 - Honey Baisoya (IND)

67 - Mikko Korhonen (FIN)68 - Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Angad Cheema (IND), Gudmundur Kristjansson (ISL)

69 - Marcel Siem (GER)

70 - Anthony Quayle (AUS), Joost Luiten (NED), Santiago Tarrio (ESP), M Dharma (IND), Manu Gandas (IND), MJ Viljoen (RSA), Yuvraj Sandhu (IND)

71 - Simon Forsstrom (SWE), Thomas Aiken (RSA), Nick Bachem (GER), Alejandro Canizares (ESP), Masahiro Kawamura (JPN), Andrew Wilson (ENG), Jens Fahrbring (SWE), Lukas Nemecz (AUT), Bryce Easton (RSA)

Cabrera Bello takes control in Thailand

Rafa Cabrera Bello will take a two stroke lead into the weekend at the Thailand Classic after carding a second round seven under par 65.

The Spaniard, whose last victory came in 2021 at the acciona Open de España, carded seven birdies on his final ten holes to move two strokes clear of Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti at Amata Spring Country Club.

The 2016 Ryder Cup player started his day with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, but undid his work after finding the water at the island green par three 17th hole, carding a double bogey.

He recovered immediately with three consecutive birdies and then made four in a row from the fifth hole as he signed for a 13 under par total.

Zanotti, who won his last DP World Tour title in South East Asia at the 2017 Maybank Championship, carded a five under par round of 65 to move to 11 under, one stroke clear of six golfers.

Among those sharing third on ten under are Japan's Kazuki Higa, who carded the low round of the day, an eight under par 64, and 2018 Ryder Cup player Thorbjørn Olesen.

Leading the home charge is Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who shares ninth place after reaching nine under par after two days in Thailand.

- DP World Tour

Simonsen and Välimäki share early lead in Thailand

Martin Simonsen and Sami Välimäki carded eight-under par rounds of 64 to share the lead after the first round of the Thailand Classic.

On a low-scoring day at Amata Spring Country Club, the pair made the most of calmer afternoon conditions after the morning groups were buffeted by wind as they moved one stroke clear at the top of the leaderboard.

Välimäki, seeking a second DP World Tour victory three years after his breakthrough win at the 2020 Oman Open, made a fast start with birdies on his opening three holes, going on to make the turn five under par.

He closed his round with three further gains on the 11th, 12th and 15th holes, finishing the day bogey-free.

"A really good round. I started nicely and kept it going the whole day," said Välimäki.

"(My win) was a long time ago. I changed coach last year in the middle of the year. After that, I've played better and better. I had some issues with my body last year but now I'm healthy and playing good."

Denmark's Simonsen was four under par through nine holes but started the back nine with a birdie and an eagle, also birdieing the 15th and 16th holes to draw level with the Finn.

"It's a great day. I thought it was going to be difficult out there with the wind, and it was. But thankfully, I played the par fives really well, which helped. It was great," said the Dane.

"With the wind today, most of them were downwind, so that helped a lot, but you still have to hit the shots. I made it fairly easy for myself on the par fives, that's the key this week."

They are one stroke ahead of the German pair of Alexander Knappe and Yannik Paul, who carded seven-under par rounds of 65.

One stroke further back on six under par is 2016 Ryder Cup player Rafa Cabrera Bello, South African Thriston Lawrence, Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist and Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay.

- DP World Tour

South Korea's Wang Jeung-hun fired six birdies in seven holes in his back-nine to share the third-round lead with Spain's Alejandro Del Rey at the Singapore Classic Saturday.

Wang completed his country's mandatory military obligations in July last year and credited his mental toughness for putting together a commanding round, posting a six-under-par 66 at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club.

"I missed golf a lot when I had to be away from the game for 18 months. I was just shooting guns every day," said the 27-year-old. "I had to work on my short game as it got rusty. But mentally, I improved a lot. I'm playing a lot better than before now."

Wang marked his card with only one birdie on the par-five three in his opening front-nine. But his game came to life after the turn when he went on a stunning five-hole birdie blitz, starting from the par-four 12.

His charge was briefly halted after he dropped a shot on 17 but he recovered quickly with a closing birdie on 18 to sign for a three-day total of 14-under-par 202.

Del Rey got off to a blistering start with three opening birdies. He made five straight pars before dropping a shot on nine to turn in 33.

The Spaniard then mixed his card with four birdies, two bogeys and an eagle in his inward-nine for a round of 66.

"To get it going that early was a great feeling. I thought I didn't play as well as yesterday but still managed to get a low round," he said. "It was still a good round to go out and shoot six-under without my best stuff."

Chinese amateur Ding Wenyi, who took the second-round lead after returning early to complete his four remaining holes, had a round to forget as he signed for a 76 to slip to a share of 21st place at the Singapore Classic, with the DP World Tour returning to Singapore for the first time since 2014.

Leading completed scores on Saturday after the third round of the Singapore Classic on the par-72 Laguna National Golf Resort:

202 - Wang Jeunghun (KOR) 67-69-66, Alejandro Del Rey (ESP) 71-65-66

203 - Richard Mansell (ENG) 68-70-65

204 - Tom Mckibbin (NIR) 64-69-71, Nathan Kimsey (ENG) 66-69-69, Sami Valimaki (FIN) 65-70-69, Marcel Schneider (GER) 67-67-70

205 - Andy Sullivan (ENG) 69-65-71, Paul Waring (ENG) 66-69-70, Matthieu Pavon (FRA) 65-70-70

206 - Scott Jamieson (SCO) 68-67-71, Julien Brun (FRA) 68-66-72, Grant Forrest (SCO) 68-68-70, Julien Guerrier (FRA) 70-70-66, Ockie Strydom (RSA) 71-68-67

Ding joins Mckibbin atop leaderboard at Singapore Classic

China's Ding Wenyi had a birdie on the par-five 13 to thank as he moved atop the leaderboard to join Northern Ireland's Tom Mckibbin before play was suspended due to fading light at the Singapore Classic Friday.

Ding marked his card with a pair of birdies and eagles, as well as a bogey on two, and was at 11-under after 14 holes before he had to leave the course due to darkness.

An hour of play was lost due to heavy rain that flooded the course at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club in the late afternoon.

Mckibbin, who held the first-round lead, was pleased he was able to complete his round with a three-under-par 69 as he was already standing on the fairway on 18 when the sirens went off.

"I just hoped we would finish it off. I didn't fancy coming back early in the morning to hit three shots, so I'm very happy I managed to finish it," said the 20-year-old.

"The conditions were also very challenging today and I'm happy I can now go back, get some rest and go out to see how I can play over the weekend now."

Mckibbin enjoyed a fast start with four birdies on holes three, five, six and eight to reach the turn in 31.

But he lost that momentum with two dropped shots on 11 and 13 before recovering with another birdie on 14.

He then parred the next four holes to reach the clubhouse with a two-day total of 11-under-par 133.

Ding meanwhile stumbled early with a bogey on the second hole.

But the 18-year-old reigning US Junior Amateur champion was quick to bounce back with an eagle on five followed by a birdie on six.

He then carded another eagle on 11, a birdie on 13 and par on 14 before darkness fell.

Thirty-nine players will have to return at 8:15 am (0115 GMT) to resume their second round at the Singapore Classic, with the DP World Tour returning to Singapore for the first time since 2014.

- AFP

McKibbin leads Singapore Classic

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin set the early pace at the Singapore Classic by posting a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club on Thursday.

Chinese amateur Ding Wenyi continued to underline his growing credentials as he signed for a 66 to trail McKibbin by two shots in sixth place at the event, DP World Tour's first in Singapore since 2014.

The 18-year-old became the first male golfer from China and just the fifth international player to win the US Junior Amateur Championship last year.

McKibbin, who is chasing his first win on the DP World Tour, fired two birdies in his opening four holes in his back-nine 10.He birdied 18 before storming ahead after the turn with three successive birdies starting from the par-four second before closing with another two birdies on seven and nine.

"I navigated the course well and it's a nice way to start with eight birdies and no bogeys," McKibbin said.

"Life's pretty nice if you're playing well, it's different if you're not.

"I went out there after the practice rounds and the course is pretty tricky if you find the wrong spots on the greens," he added.

Meanwhile Ding, who picked up golf at the age of six under his father's influence, overcame his early jitters after mixing a bogey and a birdie in his first three holes, by marking his card with six more birdies for a 66.

"I was feeling very nervous when I stepped up to the tee this morning. But I managed to calm myself down after that only bogey and played a steady round of golf after that," said the towering teen, who stands 1.9 metres (6 ft 2 in) tall.

"Singapore is like a second home for me, so I really enjoy being here. Tomorrow, I hope to play even better than today."

Leading completed scores on Thursday after the first round of the Singapore Classic:

64 - Tom McKibbin (NIR)

65 - Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Sami Valimaki (FIN), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Simon Forsstrom (SWE)

66 - Nathan Kimsey (ENG), Paul Waring (ENG), Ding Wenyi (CHN) (AM)

67 - Wang Jeunghun (KOR), Zander Lombard (RSA), Marcel Schneider (GER), John Axelsen (DEN), Antoine Rozner (FRA), Marcus Armitage (ENG), Jordan Smith (ENG), David Ravetto (FRA)

- AFP

Gavins secures dramatic Ras Al Khaimah Championship victory, SA's Lombard runner-up

Daniel Gavins holed an enormous putt at the 18th to win his second DP World Tour title in memorable fashion as the Ras Al Khaimah Championship reached a dramatic conclusion.

The 31-year-old held a two-shot lead as he headed to the 18th tee but found the water twice at the last to seriously dent his chances of winning the title.

But with nearest challenger Alexander Björk finishing his round with a bogey up ahead, Gavins had a double-bogey putt from around 30 feet to set the new target at 17 under par.

And he duly holed it to limit the damage to two dropped shots, but there were still twists and turns to come as third-round leader Zander Lombard gave himself an eagle chance on the last to potentially force a playoff.

But South African Lombard narrowly missed his putt from 24 feet to hand Gavins a second title to add to the World Invitational crown he won in 2021.

Gavins closed with a roller-coaster 69 that contained eight birdies - including five in a row from the second hole - as well as three bogeys and his closing double bogey.

Björk and Lombard were in a tie for second on 16 under, with Adrian Meronk and Thorbjørn Olesen another shot further back.

- DP World Tour

Lombard seeks maiden DP World Tour title in Ras Al Khaimah

Zander Lombard will take a narrow one-shot lead into the final round of the 2023 Ras Al Khaimah Championship as he bids to claim his maiden DP World Tour victory.

The South African began day three trailing the halfway co-leaders by four shots but carded nine birdies in a sparkling 63 on Saturday to hit the front on 16-under par.

"It feels good, did a lot of things really well. Kept it steady, kept it solid, managed to hole a few putts and get some good momentum going for nine under par," said Lombard.

"You don't shoot that every day. Felt solid straight out the blocks, started birdie-par-birdie. Just kept the mistakes off the card, that's the key to a good round.

The 28-year-old made a fast start at Al Hamra Golf Club, picking up six shots on the front nine, with the highlight coming at the par-five eighth as he chipped in for a birdie at the second time of asking.

And he kept his foot on the gas on the trickier back nine, with birdies at the 12th, 17th and 18th to go to the top of the leaderboard.

"I've knocked on a lot of doors so it would be good to get over the line (for a win), but we'll see what happens tomorrow," ended Lombard.

Rasmus Højgaard was Lombard's nearest challenger on 15 under after managing to save par at the last despite finding the water with his second shot.

The 21-year-old Dane, who made five birdies and one bogey in his third-round 68, is aiming to emulate his twin Nicolai, who won this event last year, and in doing so make the Højgaards the first brothers to win the same tournament on the DP World Tour.

England's Daniel Gavins posted a spotless third-round 68 to sit in solo third on 14-under, one ahead of Frenchman Matthieu Pavon in fourth. Defending champion Nicolai Højgaard was in a tie for fifth on 12-under alongside Alexander Björk.

Law leaps into share of Ras Al Khaimah lead

David Law fired an eagle and three birdies over the final five holes on Friday to share the lead alongside Adrian Meronk and Rasmus Højgaard at the halfway stage of the 2023 Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

The Scot made three birdies on the front nine before catching fire towards the end of his round, as an eagle on the 14th and a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th rounded off a bogey-free 64 and took him into the weekend on 11-under par.

"I'm excited, it's like a different golf course than we played the last twice we have been here. The fairways are so tight and firm, everyone is missing fairways," said Law.

"It plays into the hands of the bigger hitters a bit I would say, but at the same time, there is still a bit of skill and control of the ball."

Poland's Meronk had made seven birdies and no bogeys in the morning to set the early target before being joined at the summit at Al Hamra Golf Club.

Højgaard, meanwhile, briefly got to 12 under after making six birdies in his first 14 holes before a bogey on the 16th meant he had to settle for a share of the lead.

The 21-year-old Dane is aiming to emulate his twin Nicolai, who won this event last year, and in doing so make the Højgaards the first brothers to win the same tournament on the DP World Tour.

First-round leader Ryo Hisatsune produced a second-round 70 to sit in a four-way tie for fourth, one shot behind the trio at the top. Also on ten under were Wil Besseling and Englishmen Daniel Gavins and Dale Whitnell.

McIlroy comes out on top of bitter rival Reed in Dubai

Rory McIlroy prevailed in a nail-biting finish over Patrick Reed, the man he "prefers not to acknowledge" after a spat between the two, in the rain-delayed $9 million Dubai Desert Classic on Monday.

It was the first time McIlroy has won the first start of his new season and is his 15th DP World Tour victory in 231 starts.

It was also his third Dubai Desert Classic victory in 13 appearances.

He will remain world number one, after Spaniard Jon Rahm failed to win the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour on Saturday.

McIlroy and Reed went into the tournament after a row when Reed reportedly threw a tee towards McIlroy on the practice range in Dubai.

The two have been at odds since McIlroy criticised players, including Reed, who joined the rival Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.

McIlroy, who lost this tournament last year on the final hole when his second shot found the water and he ended up making a bogey, had fallen behind Reed after a bogey on the 15th hole.

However, the Northern Irishman made amends with birdies on the 17th and 18th in a round of four-under par 68.

McIlroy finished on 19-under par, while Reed, starting the day four shots behind the Northern Irishman, made a crucial bogey on the 16th and a par on the drivable par-4 17th hole in his round of 65.

Australian Lucas Herbert, champion in 2019, closed with a six-under par 66 to take solo third place at 16-under par 272.

England's Callum Shinkwin, who started with three bogies in his first six holes playing in the lead group with McIlroy, made six birdies after that to shoot a 69 and take solo fourth place at 273.

The DP World Tour stays in the UAE for a fourth consecutive week and will head to the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah this week for the $2 million RAK Championship.

- AFP

McIlroy leads in Dubai ahead of Monday's finish

Rory McIlroy leads the Dubai Desert Classic into the weather-delayed final round by three shots despite dumping his second shot into the water guarding the 18th green on Sunday.

Despite the bogey on his last hole, the world No1 signed for a third round seven-under-par 65.

That helped McIlroy move to 15-under ahead of Monday's conclusion -- three clear of English duo Callum Shinkwin (67) and Dan Bradbury (68) tied for second at 12 under.

For McIlroy it was a sense of deja vu as last year he found the same water on the 18th to lose the Desert Classic title to Viktor Hovland.

Last week's Abu Dhabi champion Victor Perez (66) was among a large group tied for fourth place at 11-under par.

That included five LIV Golf players -- Patrick Reed (69), Ian Poulter (69), Shaun Norris (67), Adri Arnaus (70) and Richard Bland (71).McIlroy started the day at 8-under par after an indifferent second round of 70, but four birdies in the first four holes lifted him to a share of the lead.

He then made eight straight pars, before another stretch of four birdies in five holes. The finale was a disappointing bogey.

McIlroy is guaranteed to retain his No1 position after Spain's Jon Rahm came up short in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour.

The world No3 needed a third place or better to have a chance of dislodging the Northern Irishman.

Organisers were forced into staging the fourth round on Monday after a deluge caused havoc at the start of the tournament.

-AFP

Bland shares Dubai lead as McIlroy heads for driving range

England's Richard Bland moved into a share of the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday as Rory McIlroy headed to the driving range.

With heavy rain forcing a Monday finish Bland, who lost in a play-off last year, added a second straight five-under-par 67 to top the midway leaderboard with Belgium's Thomas Pieters (67) and American amateur Michael Thorbjornsen (64).

Sweden's Marcus Kinhult (65), Scotland's Connor Syme (67) and Spain's Adri Arnaus (68) were tied for fourth at nine-under par on a day when the sun was finally shining.

But the 60-odd millimeters of rain dumped over the past few days had made the conditions soft and the preferred lies rules were still in play, abetting the low scores.

World number one McIlroy was not best pleased with his round of two-under-par 70.

He moved to eight-under par to be tied for seventh, but headed straight to the driving range to sort out an erring driver.

The round was helped by an eagle on the 13th hole, where he drained a putt from 34 feet. Otherwise, he just had one birdie and a bogey on an easy scoring day.

Bland, who lost out 12 months ago to Viktor Hovland, made just one bogey in the 36 holes and was delighted with his own form.

"The conditions were a lot easier. The ball wasn't going too far this morning. So that was kind of one of the things you just had to be wary of," he said.

"It's just nice to play with the sun on your back which we're used to in Dubai," added the winner of the British Masters in 2021.

On his allegiance with LIV Golf, and the acrimony it has generated with players and officials resorting to verbal attacks, Bland said he just wanted to keep his focus on playing golf.

"I think everybody understands my position at the age that I'm at and the opportunity put in front of me," commented Bland, who turns 50 next week.

For Pieters, it was a round of two halves. He was two-over after making three bogeys on the more difficult front nine, but putted beautifully on the back nine to make his seven birdies.

"The front nine, I was a bit scruffy. I made two bogeys with a wedge. Coming off the ninth, I was not in a good head space," said world number 39 Pieters, who missed the cut as the defending champion in Abu Dhabi last week.

"And then I shoot 31 on the back. I don't know how, but my putting seemed to work. I've still got some tough work to do on the range because my driving was pretty poor."

Stanford junior Thorbjornsen, ranked second in the world amateur golf ranking, made an eagle on the 18th and five birdies in his front nine after starting from the 10th tee.

"I enjoy playing professional golf a lot and I'm still an amateur," he said.

"Just the golf courses that we play, the crowd out there, it's what I'm dreaming of ever since I was five or six years old. It just feels good to be out there."

- AFP

McIlroy, Reed impress as Dubai Desert Classic hit by further rain

Rory McIlroy enjoyed a spectacular finish to his opening round as further weather delays at the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday forced organisers to schedule a Monday finish.

Sweden's world amateur number one Ludvig Aberg and Ian Poulter shared the 18-hole lead after seven-under-par 65s.

Most of the field did not even have time to start their second rounds before darkness fell, although Poulter was joined at the top of the leaderboard on eight-under by Richard Bland after a few holes of round two.

World number one McIlroy fired a six-under first round of 66, returning after a solid start on Thursday to finish in stunning fashion.

He made a birdie, eagle and another birdie in his closing three holes.

That included a holed-out second shot on the par-four eighth, his penultimate hole, and a near eagle on the par-four ninth.

"I should not have warmed up for an hour," quipped McIlroy.

"I was hopeful that I would hole that birdie putt on seventh (he hit his tee shot to four feet when play was suspended on Thursday) and get to three-under and then maybe birdie one of the last two and get to four-under.

"I would have been ecstatic with that. To do what I did, it glosses over the golf I played. There's no way I should have shot six-under par out there for the last couple days.

"I feel lucky to be in this position. I could have been at least four or five shots worse. Usually, I would be the master at turning 66s into 70s, and that was a 70 turned into a 66."

Reed makes fast start

LIV Golf star Patrick Reed, who was involved in a controversial incident before the tournament when he was accused of throwing a tee at four-time major champion McIlroy, eagled his 18th hole to also finish on 66.

The second round did get under way and England's Bland moved to the top of the leaderboard alongside fellow LIV Golf player Poulter.

Bland, who lost in a play-off to Viktor Hovland at the event last year, made three birdies in his first four holes, while Poulter birdied his third hole of the second round.

With more than nine hours lost because of rain - close to 60 millimetres were dumped on the golf course over the two days - the organisers decided to schedule the third round for Sunday and the final round on Monday in an effort to make it a 72-hole tournament.

"This is one of the biggest events on the DP World Tour and we clearly want to make every effort possible to get to 72 holes at one of our biggest championships," European Tour tournament director Mike Stewart said.

The 23-year-old Aberg earned his place in the tournament as the top-ranked player from the PGA Tour's university rankings, and he wasted no time in showcasing his potential.

Aberg started with a bogey, but made eight birdies after that. Two bogeys saw him slip to three shots off the lead after seven holes of his second round.

The Dubai Desert Classic is the second straight week of Rolex Series events on the European Tour. The winner walks away with $1.53 million and important Ryder Cup points.

- AFP 

Dubai Desert Classic battles deluge

The Dubai Desert Classic was hit by a deluge of biblical proportions with Thursday's opening round behind closed doors hit by a lengthy delay.

A weather front on the eve of play dumped nearly 40 millimetres of rain and caused a delay of over six hours as maintenance staff battled to make the course playable.

Only 18 players managed to complete their rounds, leaving well over one hundred facing an early start Friday.

Only two groups on either sides of the soaked golf course were able to finish their round, and the remaining players from the morning wave will have to return early and finish theirs.

None of the afternoon group could go out on the golf course and they face the prospect of a long day of 36 holes.

Among those who finished their rounds were the English trio of Matthew Jordan, Oliver Wilson and Daniel Gavins, who were tied for the lead in the clubhouse at four-under par 68.

Rory McIlroy was left facing a four-feet birdie putt on the seventh hole, his 16th after starting from the 10th tee, to move to three-under par when first-round play resumes on Friday morning.

The world number one did well to bounce back from two early bogeys, in a round in which his putter seemed hot despite the wet conditions at Emirates Golf Club.

Preferred lies were in operation and the water-logged thick rough provided a real test to the field.

Thursday's round was held behind closed doors.

"We had a lot of rain yesterday afternoon so the first decision that was made with the tournament promoters, Falcon Golf, was to minimise the number of people on site today by playing behind closed doors, including closing hospitality," tournament director Mike Stewart said.

"This decision was taken last night for the safety of everybody, in part because it was going to be very hard for large numbers of people to reach the venue.

"The biggest issues from the golf club's perspective were the bunkers and some of the waste areas which had flooded really badly, so they had to get those bunkers pumped out."

-AFP

France's Perez holds on to claim Abu Dhabi title

Victor Perez endured nail-biting drama over the closing stretch of the Abu Dhabi Championship before edging a one-shot win on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Frenchman holed out his bunker shot on the par-3 17th hole in remarkable fashion to get to 19-under before visiting the fairway bunker and making a bogey on the par-5 18th hole at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

Perez finally closed with a six-under-par 66 for an overall total of 18-under-par 270.

Australia's Min Woo Lee paid the price of a bogey on the 17th hole when he missed a par putt from less than five feet. He almost holed out his third shot for an eagle on the 18th, which could have forced a play-off.

However, his ball rolled back towards the pin and stopped agonisingly close. The birdie saw him finish on 68 and in tied-second place alongside Sweden's Sebastian Soderberg (67).

Ireland's 51-year-old Padraig Harrington, who was trying to become the oldest winner on the European Tour, was in solo fourth place at 16-under par. He started his round with a bogey, but made seven birdies in his round after that.

The win was Perez's third on the tour in 91 starts and moves him to the top of the European Tour rankings with 1,335 points. He is likely to climb to 60th place in the world, up from 117th.

"It feels fantastic," said an emotional Perez.

"I thought you always need a bit of fortune and there's always the deciding shots coming down the stretch that can make or break. To hole that bunker shot on 17 is probably going to be a highlight.

"I was just trying to fly the ball all the way to the hole and if it came up a bit heavy, it was probably going to release down to the hole and probably have an 8-footer for par. I was expecting Sebastian to hole his putt for birdie.

"In my head, I was going best case scenario, probably one ahead or tied going into the last hole, but I come up with a two-shot lead, which is always massive.

"The other person is going to have to do something great and you're going to have to do something poor to lose a two-shot lead. I almost did, but thankfully, a six was enough."

Italy's Francesco Molinari (71) and Sweden's Alex Noren (68) were tied for the fifth place at 14-under.

The European Tour next moves down the road to Dubai for the Dubai Desert Classic, a second Rolex Series event in successive weeks. World number one Rory McIlroy is scheduled to play the tournament at Emirates Golf Club.

- AFP

Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari and Min Woo Lee tied at the top

Shane Lowry's bid to become a two-time Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner remains firmly on track after he shot a third-round 66 to head into the final round tied alongside Francesco Molinari and Min Woo Lee at the top of the leaderboard.

The Irishman carded a spectacular eagle, five birdies and a solitary bogey on Saturday to move to 13 under par.

The 2019 champion spent most of the back nine at the summit before his only bogey of the day at the 17th and a closing birdie from Lee up at the 18th saw the Australian take over at the top.

But the Major Champion bounced back brilliantly, nervelessly holing his birdie putt from around nine feet at the last.

And midway co-leader Molinari made it a three-way tie at the top after finishing his third-round 69 with a birdie from five feet in the final group.Lee carded seven birdies and one bogey in his 66, with the highlight of his round coming at the short fourth as he almost holed his tee-shot for an ace.

The leading trio have a high-class chasing pack just behind them, with France's Victor Perez, Scot Grant Forrest and Swede Sebastian Söderberg at 12 under.

Three-time Major Champion Pádraig Harrington is in the four-strong group another shot back after reeling off six successive birdies in his flawless 64.

Lowry began the day three shots off the lead but soon set about cutting the gap, birdieing the second from close range before holing his approach from the fairway at the difficult sixth for a stunning eagle there.

He came agonisingly close to securing a second straight eagle on the seventh but had to make do with a tap-in birdie before saving par at the eighth. An 18-foot birdie on the ninth handed Lowry the outright lead but he had to wait until the 15th for his next birdie after missing a good chance at the previous hole.

He holed from just off the green at the 15th to reach 13 under but got into bunker trouble at the short 17th and just missed his par putt there to surrender a bogey.

The 35-year-old fought back, though, making his birdie at the 18th to grab a share of the lead.

He said: "It's nice to go out on a Saturday, in tricky conditions coming in on the back nine, and put myself in there for tomorrow [Sunday].

"First tournament of the year, you don't know what's going to happen. My thing would be I try and give myself as many chances to win as I can and at some stage hopefully it happens.

"I've got a chance to go out there and do something special, so hopefully I can bring the game that I brought the last few days and roll a few putts in as well and you never know."

Lee made a hot start, birdieing the second before coming within 15 inches of making a hole-in-one at the fourth.

- DP World Tour