CHEQUE OUT XANDER’SGIFT
GOLF
XANDER SCHAUFFELE enjoyed a belated birthday present as three closing birdies bagged the WGCHSBC Champions and a tidy £1.32million cheque.
But Rory McIlroy’s hopes of a surge up the Race to Dubai standings stalled after he finished 24 shots off the pace.
Schauffele beat fellow American Tony Finau in a play-off as Englishman Justin Rose missed out on a return to world No.1 with third in Shanghai.
Schauffele, who turned 25 on the opening day, birdied the final two holes for a four-under 68 that left the American duo on 14-under 274 and bound for the 18th again.
Another birdie at the par five after Finau (71) had to lay up due to finding sand off the tee delivered Schauffele’s third PGA Tour title.
He said: “It was as nice of a final group as I’ve ever played in, not that I’ve played in a whole lot.
“But Rosey and Tony are great guys and we were genuinely pulling BY DALE RANKIN for each other – even though we were playing against each other. It’s a lot to take in. I didn’t have an incredible Asian swing so that flight home will be a little bit more special.
“It’s the first time my family have been together in a pretty long time so that was pretty special.”
McIlroy’s hopes of reining in Ryder Cup pal Francesco Molinari at the top of the Race to Dubai rankings went unrealised, falling to sixth in the race to be European No.1.
The Northern Irishman bogeyed the last for a 74 that saw him share 54th on 10 over – three strokes behind the Italian – with three events left.
Rose, four shots off the play-off after a 72, still has two titles to defend before the year is out, having failed to retain his Shanghai crown.
He said: “I’ve never defended a tournament so that’s the goal for this run – to defend one.”