Dubai-based Spaniard Adrian Otaegui overturned a five-shot deficit thanks to a brilliant final round of 65 to secure victory at the $2.25 million Volvo China Open by one stroke on the DP World Tour.
In-form Sebastian Söderberg was aiming to seal a wire-to-wire victory at Hidden Grace Golf Club, which had been reduced to 54 holes after Saturday’s third round was cancelled due to thunder and lightning in the Shenzhen area.
However, the Swede struggled on Sunday as Otaegui produced a flawless display and back-to-back birdies from the 16th saw him hit the front for the first time at 18 under par.
Söderberg replied with a brilliant gain at the penultimate hole, but he went out of bounds with his final tee shot for a closing double bogey, which saw him slide to a tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach at 16 under, one behind runner-up Guido Migliozzi.
“I’m very, very happy, I’m extremely happy,” Otaegui said after the victory. “I had to wait a little bit since I finished, to see what was happening in the final group but luckily for me, things turned up well and I’m extremely happy.
“I was starting five shots back and I tried not to look at the leaderboard, not think about the result, try to play how I played on Thursday and Friday and think if things go well, it’s a course where I can have some birdie chances.”
Otaegui, 31 years old, saw him win his fifth tournament on the DP World Tour moved him up 46 places to number 13 on the season-long Race to Dubai and earned a winner’s cheque of €356,293.78.
He also finished third in the Asian Swing mini-Order of Merit, which started in March at the Porsche Singapore Classic and involved four events, concluding this week, finishing behind Soderberg (Swe) and Keita Nakajima (Jap), which sees all three qualify to play in the USPGA, the second Major of the year, held at Valhalla Golf Club, 16th – 19th May 2024. Soderberg also wins a $200,000 bonus for topping the Asian Swing,
Results
(7,145 Yards, Par 72).
Otaegui (Spain) 67. 66. 65. 198.
Migliozzi (It) 65. 67. 67. 199.
Soderberg (Swe) 63. 65, 72. 200.
Waring (Eng) 66. 65. 69. 200.
Girrbach (Swi) 66. 67. 67. 200.