BEIJING, China (AFP) Monday 4/25/2016 – South Korea’s Lee Soo-Min won the rain-delayed Shenzhen International on Monday, claiming his first European Tour title with a two-shot victory over Dutchman Joost Luiten and South Africa’s Brandon Stone.
More than nine hours of play were lost to rain and electrical storms during the tournament in the southern Chinese city, and Lee was among three joint leaders when play resumed early on Monday, with another trio just one shot behind.
But the 22-year-old went into the outright lead with a birdie on the 16th and when he followed with an eagle three on the par-five 17th, it meant his final-hole bogey was immaterial as he finished on 16 under par.
The win came in only his sixth start on the European Tour, and was a contrast to the Maybank Championship Malaysia, where he began the final round with a three-shot lead but made two double-bogeys in his last three holes to slip to a share of second place.
“I’m really happy and really excited. This is really good for me and really good for my golf life,” Lee said according to the tour’s website.
“Yesterday I was really, really nervous,” he added. “We had a lot of break times and then played again so that’s really good for me and I just thought about my golf and then competed until I could do it.”
The other overnight joint leaders, France’s Alexander Levy and Lee Slattery of England, both slipped back in the final holes to finish tied for fourth with Australian Scott Hend.
Two-time US Masters champion Bubba Watson, who is ranked fourth in the world, finished in joint eighth place on 10-under par after a closing six-under 66, while Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez took a share of 13th place another two shots back.
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