Poom claims Indonesian Masters title
Lipsky survives late scare to win Alfred Dunhill Championship
JAKARTA, Dec 16, (RTRS): Justin Rose failed to reclaim the world number one ranking after a final round meltdown at the Indonesian Masters on Sunday as Thai Poom Saksansin claimed the title for the second time with a threeshot victory.
Rose’s title defense was effectively ended by a third-round 71 but, starting the day in a share of fourth, the tie for 16th with one other player or better he needed to replace American Brooks Koepka at the top of the rankings looked straightforward.
The 38-year-old Briton’s putting let him down badly, however, and he started with a bogey before adding a double bogey at the second when he twice failed to chip the ball up a bank and onto the green.
Worse was to come at the 12th when he had a reasonably gettable birdie putt but ended up with a triple bogey, which he followed with another bogey at the 13th.
The Olympic champion birdied his final two holes amid gusting winds as a storm bore down on the course but it was too little, too late and he signed for a three-over-par 75 which left him in a share of 17th on six-under.
Jazz spiced up the final round with a late surge but could not deny compatriot and 2016 champion Poom, who held the lead from the midway stage of the Asian Tour’s season-ending event at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
Poom made a strong start with three birdies in his first six holes and signed for a final round 68 for a winning total of 20-under 268.
His fellow Thai Jazz Janewattananond wielded a hot putter to sink six birdies and a couple of eagles in his round of 65 for second place but Poom was never really threatened.
Panuphol Pittayarat (66) completed a Thai 1-2-3 a shot ahead of Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (71), who finished alone in fourth on 14-under.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who was already assured of winning the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit, missed the cut.
In Malelanem, South Africa, American David Lipsky survived a doublebogey on his third last hole to hang on for a two-shot victory at the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship after shooting a final round 68 at Leopard Creek Country Club on Sunday.
Lipsky, 30, completed a second win on tour and a first success since he claimed the Omega European Masters in 2014, finishing two shots ahead of Scotland’s David Drysdale (67), who carded the joint lowest score of the round but is still seeking a first win on tour after three runner-up finishes.
“I didn’t make too many mistakes, my putting and wedge play was probably the best it’s ever been,” Lipsky said at the trophy presentation.
“It’s a very difficult course but I toughed it out. This is my first time here so I hadn’t seen the course before.”
He admitted the double-bogey on 16 had left him with some jitters.
“It was a little stressful for me, I wish I hadn’t done that! But I finished strong and that is all that matters.”
Lipsky started his final round a shot behind overnight leader Scott Jamieson (72) but surged ahead as he birdied three of his first five holes, while his playing partner had dropped two shots by the end of the fifth.
The American led by five strokes at one stage, but a run of birdies from home golfer Zander Lombard (69) and Drysdale cut his lead to one before a birdie on the last made the win more comfortable.