Schauffele reels in Finau to lift HSBC title in playoff; Korda grabs maiden LPGA title in Taiwan
SHANGHAI: Xander Schauffele bagged the biggest victory of his young career on Sunday, chasing down Tony Finau to win a nail-biting WGC-HSBC Champions in a play-off.
Schauffele, the 2017 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year who celebrated his 25th birthday on opening-round Thursday, started the final round three strokes behind fellow American Finau at a windy Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.
Schauffele had some early wobbles but closed strong, including crucial birdies on the final two holes to record the lowest score of the day — a four-under 68 — catching Finau to force the play-off.
Replaying the par-five 18th in sudden-death, Finau handed Schauffele the advantage when his tee shot leaked into a fairway bunker.
Schauffele reached the green in two, and Finau faced a do-or-die birdie putt from the fringe of the green, which just missed.
Schauffele’s win comes with a $1.8 million victor’s purse and moves him atop the standings in the young Fedex Cup 2018-2019 season.
Down a stroke going to the tee of the par-3 17th in regulation, Schauffele birdied to move level with Finau and walk to the final hole tied at 13 under par.
Both hit outstanding approaches to reach the green on the par-5 hole in two, and each sank birdie putts to finish the 72 holes in 14 under and set up the playoff.
Schauffele, Finau and playing partner Justin Rose, the defending champion, had pulled away from the field over the back nine, making it essentially a three-man tournament.
But Rose, the world number three who could have returned to number one with a win, faltered late and finished four strokes back at 10 under.
KORDA TRIUMPHS
America’s Nelly Korda claimed her maiden LPGA Tour victory in Taiwan on Sunday, joining her elder sister Jessica as a winner on the circuit and extending a family sporting resume which also boasts a Grand Slam tennis title. Korda, 20, shot four-underpar 68 for an aggregate score of 13-under 288 at the LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taoyuan, finishing two shots clear of Australia’s Minjee Lee.
Two birdies, no bogeys and an eagle on the par-five sixth made for a straightforward win after Korda’s overnight co-leader, Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling, fell away with a 74 to finish tied sixth.
Australia’s Lee shot 66, her lowest round of the tournament, to rise to second, one stroke ahead of American player Ryann O’toole who carded 67 to finish third.
JOSHI PREVAILS
India’s Khalin Joshi fired a decisive birdie on the 18th hole to clinch his maiden Asian Tour title at the Panasonic Open India tournament in New Delhi on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Joshi hit fourunder 68 in the fourth round to edge out Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh by one shot in a dramatic finish at the Delhi golf Course.
Joshi, who was the overnight leader along with Rahman, started with two bogeys in the first three holes but soon gained momentum to hit six birdies.
Rahman, who won the Indian Open at the Delhi course in 2013, carded an even-par at the final hole and Joshi hit the winning putt to a loud roar.
Joshi underlined India’s domination at the $400,000 Asian Tour event, becoming the seventh Indian winner in eight editions.
Australia’s Wade Ormsby remains the only foreign winner, in 2013.
Joshi now has his eyes set on getting a European Tour card just like his Indian counterpart Shubhankar Sharma, who won the 2017 Joburg Open to earn full membership on the European Tour.
Meanwhile the 33-year-old Rahman -- who topped the leaderboard for two rounds before slipping out at the final moment -- was not disappointed with the result.