Lin Wen-tang beats McIlroy and Molinari
in play-off after Wilson's late collapse
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ASIAN TOUR
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang lifted the UBS Hong Kong Open title after a thrilling play-off win over Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Italy’s Francesco Molinari.
They had tied on 15-under-par 265 for the regular 72 holes. Lin Wen-tang beat McIlory at the second play-off hole, Molinari having been eliminated at the first.
Oliver Wilson was also 15 under par until he bogeyed the 15th, 16th and 17th and finished with a 71 for 268. McIlroy and Molinari both finished with 65s to get into the play-off with Wen-tang who closed with a 67.
Lin nailed an accurate approach shot in the second-play-off hole which left the ball within inches of the hole for a tap-in birdie and the win at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
He walked away with the winner’s cheque of US$416,660 and rises to second place on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit after becoming the first Asian golfer to win the title in a decade.
“It cannot be described how I feel. All I can do is use my smile to say thank you to you all,” said Lin.
Lin had the chance to win with a 4f birdie putt on the 18th hole in regulation play but he two-putted for par and remained tied with Italy’s Francesco Molinari and McIlroy at the top of the pack.
He then struck a wayward drive in the first play-off hole on the 18th, hooking his tee shot into the trees, but an incredible recovery shot from what looked an impossible position got him out of trouble to within four feet for a birdie.
McIlroy also birdied after a wonderful approach to three feet but Molinari was eliminated when his 15ft putt slipped by, leaving Lin and McIlory to head back to the 18th tee for the second play-off hole.
This time it was McIlroy who found trouble off the tee, finding the same trees as Lin moments earlier, but the Northern Irish teenager played an almost equally remarkable recovery, hooking a gap wedge 40 yards round the trees to find the back of the green.
Lin made no such mistake at the second time of asking and blasted a solid drive followed by an inch perfect pitch which left his ball right next to the hole. McIlroy’s birdie putt slid by and Lin was able to tap in for the win.
“I tried to be happy as much as I can. For the last few holes, actually, I knew I did have a chance to win the tournament without the play-off, but I didn't make it. I was focused on the 18th green in regulation play but I somehow missed the four feet birdie putt, but I put it behind me right away as I knew I had to head back to the tee for the play-off.
“When I was in the trees in the first play-off hole, I knew that as long as the ball was not in the hole, I still had a very good chance to take it to another playoff hole, so I went for it. And it was like help from the Gods; and at the end, I made it.
“I've always said that the trophy goes to the most well‑prepared player, and I'm very well prepared this week. I really have been wanting to win. I think good preparation is the basis of success,” admitted the champion.
Chinese Taipei’s Lu Liang-huan was the first ever winner of the tournament 50 years ago and Lin has joined the list of illustrious winners this week.
Lin has also enjoyed a superb 2008 season on the Asian Tour having won the Asian Tour International in March. He had also previously finished tied third at the BMW Asian Open in April coupled with two runner-up finishes prior to his Hong Kong success.
Despite having lost in a tight battle, McIlroy was pleased with his overall performance.
“I thought I probably did enough when I made three at the first play-off hole and I had an incredible recovery shot on the second play-off hole, but it just wasn't meant to be,” he said.
Molinari shared a similar sentiment having lost out in the first play-off hole.
“You need to do the right shot at the right moment, and I'm pretty happy with the way I played the play-off, anyway. It was a pretty good putt as well, but just didn't break,” said the Italian golfer.
FINAL TOTALS
Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling
Par 280 (4 x 70)
265 Wen-Tang Lin (Tai) 65 69 64 67 (Wen-Tang Lin won at the second play-off hole) Francesco Molinari (Ita) 66 67 67 65, Rory McIlroy 70 64 66 65
267 Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 66 66 70 65, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 69 67 64 67
268 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 69 67 63 69, David Gleeson (Aus) 72 65 65 66, Oliver Wilson 66 66 65 71, Iain Steel (Mal) 68 68 66 66, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 64 69 69 66
269 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 63 66 69, Graeme McDowell 71 68 65 65, Angelo Que (Phi) 68 68 67 66, Oliver Fisher 67 65 73 64
270 Colin Montgomerie 68 65 68 69, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 64 71 69 66
271 John Daly (USA) 68 68 73 62, Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 70 69 64 68
272 Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor) 70 67 66 69, Bradley Dredge 69 70 65 68, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 71 68 66 67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70 70 66 66, Johan Edfors (Swe) 68 65 73 66
273 Peter Hanson (Swe) 67 70 69 67, Gareth Maybin 71 67 68 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 69 71 62, Ben Leong (Mal) 69 70 65 69, David Frost (Rsa) 69 68 67 69
274 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 71 69 68 66, Taichiro Kiyota (Jpn) 72 67 70 65, Paul Lawrie 69 70 69 66, David Lynn 71 67 65 71, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 71 69 70 64
275 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 69 66 68 72, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 70 70 66 69, Darren Beck (Aus) 68 69 69 69, Paul Waring 72 68 66 69, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 62 73 70, Mark Brown (USA) 70 70 66 69, Gavin Flint (Aus) 68 70 69 68, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 66 70 72
276 Tony Carolan (Aus) 70 67 72 67, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 67 72 67 70, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 70 66 70 70, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68 71 68, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 70 67 67 72, Sattaya Supupramai (Tha) 71 69 70 66
277 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 69 70 68 70, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 71 69 67 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 68 70 71, Taco Remkes (Ned) 69 70 69 69, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 70 67 73 67
278 Ter-Chang Wang (Tpe) 66 71 69 72, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 65 72 72 69, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 68 70 69, Zaw Moe (Kor) 72 68 70 68, David Horsey 70 70 71 67, Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 73 67 70 68, Jamie Donaldson 75 63 72 68, Unho Park (Aus) 71 68 67 72, Paul McGinley 71 69 67 71, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 68 69 71 70
279 Anthony Wall 72 68 72 67, Artemio-hiromasa Murakami (Phi) 67 70 72 70, Phillip Archer 72 67 71 69, Scott Strange (Aus) 71 68 71 69, Chinarat Phadungsil (Tha) 67 71 70 71, David Bransdon (Aus) 70 68 70 71, Martin Rominger (Swi) 71 66 68 74
280 Anthony Kang (USA) 70 70 67 73, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 69 68 74 69, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 70 70 70 70, David Dixon 68 69 72 71, Joong Kyung Mo (Kor) 69 71 71 69
281 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 70 70 74 67, Shun yat jason Hak (Hkg) 70 70 73 68
282 Marcus Both (Aus) 68 72 73 69, Wook-Soon Kang (Kor) 69 69 69 75, Jong Yul Suk (Kor) 70 69 74 69
283 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 69 71 72
284 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 69 71 73
288 Scott Drummond 68 70 76 74.
in play-off after Wilson's late collapse
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ASIAN TOUR
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang lifted the UBS Hong Kong Open title after a thrilling play-off win over Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Italy’s Francesco Molinari.
They had tied on 15-under-par 265 for the regular 72 holes. Lin Wen-tang beat McIlory at the second play-off hole, Molinari having been eliminated at the first.
Oliver Wilson was also 15 under par until he bogeyed the 15th, 16th and 17th and finished with a 71 for 268. McIlroy and Molinari both finished with 65s to get into the play-off with Wen-tang who closed with a 67.
Lin nailed an accurate approach shot in the second-play-off hole which left the ball within inches of the hole for a tap-in birdie and the win at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
He walked away with the winner’s cheque of US$416,660 and rises to second place on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit after becoming the first Asian golfer to win the title in a decade.
“It cannot be described how I feel. All I can do is use my smile to say thank you to you all,” said Lin.
Lin had the chance to win with a 4f birdie putt on the 18th hole in regulation play but he two-putted for par and remained tied with Italy’s Francesco Molinari and McIlroy at the top of the pack.
He then struck a wayward drive in the first play-off hole on the 18th, hooking his tee shot into the trees, but an incredible recovery shot from what looked an impossible position got him out of trouble to within four feet for a birdie.
McIlroy also birdied after a wonderful approach to three feet but Molinari was eliminated when his 15ft putt slipped by, leaving Lin and McIlory to head back to the 18th tee for the second play-off hole.
This time it was McIlroy who found trouble off the tee, finding the same trees as Lin moments earlier, but the Northern Irish teenager played an almost equally remarkable recovery, hooking a gap wedge 40 yards round the trees to find the back of the green.
Lin made no such mistake at the second time of asking and blasted a solid drive followed by an inch perfect pitch which left his ball right next to the hole. McIlroy’s birdie putt slid by and Lin was able to tap in for the win.
“I tried to be happy as much as I can. For the last few holes, actually, I knew I did have a chance to win the tournament without the play-off, but I didn't make it. I was focused on the 18th green in regulation play but I somehow missed the four feet birdie putt, but I put it behind me right away as I knew I had to head back to the tee for the play-off.
“When I was in the trees in the first play-off hole, I knew that as long as the ball was not in the hole, I still had a very good chance to take it to another playoff hole, so I went for it. And it was like help from the Gods; and at the end, I made it.
“I've always said that the trophy goes to the most well‑prepared player, and I'm very well prepared this week. I really have been wanting to win. I think good preparation is the basis of success,” admitted the champion.
Chinese Taipei’s Lu Liang-huan was the first ever winner of the tournament 50 years ago and Lin has joined the list of illustrious winners this week.
Lin has also enjoyed a superb 2008 season on the Asian Tour having won the Asian Tour International in March. He had also previously finished tied third at the BMW Asian Open in April coupled with two runner-up finishes prior to his Hong Kong success.
Despite having lost in a tight battle, McIlroy was pleased with his overall performance.
“I thought I probably did enough when I made three at the first play-off hole and I had an incredible recovery shot on the second play-off hole, but it just wasn't meant to be,” he said.
Molinari shared a similar sentiment having lost out in the first play-off hole.
“You need to do the right shot at the right moment, and I'm pretty happy with the way I played the play-off, anyway. It was a pretty good putt as well, but just didn't break,” said the Italian golfer.
FINAL TOTALS
Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling
Par 280 (4 x 70)
265 Wen-Tang Lin (Tai) 65 69 64 67 (Wen-Tang Lin won at the second play-off hole) Francesco Molinari (Ita) 66 67 67 65, Rory McIlroy 70 64 66 65
267 Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 66 66 70 65, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 69 67 64 67
268 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 69 67 63 69, David Gleeson (Aus) 72 65 65 66, Oliver Wilson 66 66 65 71, Iain Steel (Mal) 68 68 66 66, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 64 69 69 66
269 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 63 66 69, Graeme McDowell 71 68 65 65, Angelo Que (Phi) 68 68 67 66, Oliver Fisher 67 65 73 64
270 Colin Montgomerie 68 65 68 69, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 64 71 69 66
271 John Daly (USA) 68 68 73 62, Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 70 69 64 68
272 Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor) 70 67 66 69, Bradley Dredge 69 70 65 68, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 71 68 66 67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70 70 66 66, Johan Edfors (Swe) 68 65 73 66
273 Peter Hanson (Swe) 67 70 69 67, Gareth Maybin 71 67 68 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 69 71 62, Ben Leong (Mal) 69 70 65 69, David Frost (Rsa) 69 68 67 69
274 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 71 69 68 66, Taichiro Kiyota (Jpn) 72 67 70 65, Paul Lawrie 69 70 69 66, David Lynn 71 67 65 71, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 71 69 70 64
275 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 69 66 68 72, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 70 70 66 69, Darren Beck (Aus) 68 69 69 69, Paul Waring 72 68 66 69, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 62 73 70, Mark Brown (USA) 70 70 66 69, Gavin Flint (Aus) 68 70 69 68, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 66 70 72
276 Tony Carolan (Aus) 70 67 72 67, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 67 72 67 70, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 70 66 70 70, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68 71 68, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 70 67 67 72, Sattaya Supupramai (Tha) 71 69 70 66
277 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 69 70 68 70, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 71 69 67 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 68 70 71, Taco Remkes (Ned) 69 70 69 69, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 70 67 73 67
278 Ter-Chang Wang (Tpe) 66 71 69 72, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 65 72 72 69, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 68 70 69, Zaw Moe (Kor) 72 68 70 68, David Horsey 70 70 71 67, Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 73 67 70 68, Jamie Donaldson 75 63 72 68, Unho Park (Aus) 71 68 67 72, Paul McGinley 71 69 67 71, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 68 69 71 70
279 Anthony Wall 72 68 72 67, Artemio-hiromasa Murakami (Phi) 67 70 72 70, Phillip Archer 72 67 71 69, Scott Strange (Aus) 71 68 71 69, Chinarat Phadungsil (Tha) 67 71 70 71, David Bransdon (Aus) 70 68 70 71, Martin Rominger (Swi) 71 66 68 74
280 Anthony Kang (USA) 70 70 67 73, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 69 68 74 69, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 70 70 70 70, David Dixon 68 69 72 71, Joong Kyung Mo (Kor) 69 71 71 69
281 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 70 70 74 67, Shun yat jason Hak (Hkg) 70 70 73 68
282 Marcus Both (Aus) 68 72 73 69, Wook-Soon Kang (Kor) 69 69 69 75, Jong Yul Suk (Kor) 70 69 74 69
283 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 69 71 72
284 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 69 71 73
288 Scott Drummond 68 70 76 74.
Labels: ASIAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, November 23, 2008
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