Voke prevails in Qinhuangdao playoff
Nick Voke beat Stephen Lewton in a playoff to win the Qinhuangdao Championship on Sunday and become the first New Zealander to win a PGA Tour Series-China title since Josh Geary in 2015.
The 23-year-old Voke, playing in the second-last group, shot a 6-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead at 12-under at Qinhuangdao Poly Golf Club before third-round co-leader Lewton birdied the final hole to force the playoff.
Both players parred the par-3 18th on the first extra hole. When they played it again, Voke drained a 15-foot birdie putt to deny Lewton, who was hoping to become the Tour’s first English winner.
American Charlie Saxon (71), the third-round co-leader with Lewton, was third at 9-under, one ahead of compatriots Yoon Se-jun (67) and Kevin Lee (68). Australians Max McCardle (69) and James Marchesani (69), last year’s Clearwater Bay Open winner, finished sixth and seventh, while Chinese duo “Carl” Yuan Yechun (69) and Xiao Bowen (65) shared eighth at 7-under.
The top five on the money list remained the same, with Saxon followed by England’s Callum Tarren, Korean Todd Baek, American Joseph Winslow and Hong Kong’s Motin Yeung.
Voke, who turned professional in January, was thrilled to get his first pro win in only his second appearance on the tour. He tied for fourth at the previous week’s Suzhou Open.
The Auckland resident continued his excellent form in Qinhuangdao, finishing with six birdies in a bogey-free final round, and has already set his sights on next year’s Web.com Tour after the victory vaulted him to 13th on the order of merit.
“This opens up some opportunities for me and it’s pretty exciting to see what doors can open from it,” said Voke, who graduated from Iowa State University in 2017 after a US college career that featured five victories.
“If I don’t qualify for the Web.com Tour, I will play here in China. I feel it’s the best pathway to get to the Web.com Tour and hopefully I will play well enough there to get to the PGA Tour.”
Lewton, who played a full season on the European Tour in 2011, led for most of the day after four birdies on the front nine, but struggled to keep the putts dropping after the turn, where he reeled off seven straight pars.
The 35-year-old picked up his first bogey of the day on No 17 before his birdie on the final hole forced the playoff, but he missed a birdie attempt on the second extra hole, leaving Voke with a slightly longer putt on a similar line.
“I got off to a really good start. I birdied two, four and five, made a great par save on seven and then birdied nine, so I was in at 4-under,” said Lewton.
“On the back nine, I played really well again but just didn’t hole any putts.
“I hit an errant second shot on 17 to make bogey, then birdied the last one, but it wasn’t to be. That’s all you can do in a playoff; it’s win or lose.”
Saxon briefly shared the lead with Lewton after carding his fifth birdie of the day on 14, but three bogeys over the final four holes sank him.
The 25-year-old, who has two wins on the tour this year, extended his lead on the order of merit but felt he was let down by his putter.
“My ball-striking was rock solid, but this was maybe the worst putting week I’ve had as a professional,” said Saxon.
“It just wasn’t my day. Hopefully I will be better next time.”
Players in the top 25 of the money list after the Qinhuangdao Championship are exempt to the Second Stage of the Web.com Tour qualifying tournament, which will be held from Oct 30-Nov 2 and Nov 6-9.