Norris clinches crown, Danny fails to shine on final day
KUALA LUMPUR: South Africa’s Shaun Norris kept his composure to clinch the Myanmar Open title as Malaysia’s Danny Chia failed to make any headway in the final round.
Norris and Danny both carded one-under 71 on the final day at the Royal Mingalardon Golf and Country Club.
While it was enough for Norris to win the title by four shots, it didn’t do much for Danny as he finished in joint 12th position – 10 strokes behind the South African.
Norris was a bundle of nerves in his front nine, but regained his advantage with a flawless inward nine.
Japan’s Azuma Yano shared second place with South Korea’s Park Jun-won after signing off with a 68 at Myanmar’s richest golf tournament.
Another South Korean, Wang Jeunghun, closed with a 69 to finish fourth while India’s S.S.P. Chawarasia and American Casey O’Toole shared fifth spot on a 270 total.
Despite holding a seven-shot overnight lead, victory did not come easy for Norris.
“The conditions were not easy from the start. When I stepped out of the hotel this morning, it was gusty,” he said.
“I knew scoring was not going to be easy. I tried to give myself chances early on, but I hit several bad shots in the wrong places. The wind really got to me in the front-nine and confused me.”
Norris saw his lead cut to three at the turn and it took a crucial birdie on the par-three 11 to finally turn his fortunes around.
He carded another pair of birdies on the 14th and 15th to widen his lead and eventually seal victory.
Yano, who enjoyed a career-first albatross during the third round, admitted that Norris’ superb round on Saturday had left him with a mountain to climb in the final round.