Hong Kong: Australia's Wade Ormsby won the Hong Kong Open yesterday as Rafael Cabrera-Bello suffered heartbreak on the final green for the second year in a row.
Ormsby, playing in the penultimate pair, had bogeyed the difficult 18th hole and left Cabrera-Bello needing only a par to force a play-off at the US$2 million (approximately 66 million baht) event at the Hong Kong Golf Club course, which was co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.
But a poor bunker shot by the Spanish world No.20 left him too much to do with his putt, which rolled inches wide to hand the Australian his first European Tour title -- 13 years after he started playing on the circuit.
"Unbelievable to be honest... 280-odd starts on the European Tour, and a first win means a lot to me," said Ormsby.
"The first [name on the trophy] I look at is Greg Norman's so that's cool -- I'm a bit emotional," he said, referring to the Australian golfing legend who won the Hong Kong Open in 1979 and 1983.
Ormsby's final-round 68 meant the world No.319 finished on an 11-under 269, one shot clear of Cabrera-Bello and three others.
Cabrera-Bello, who led last year's tournament for most of the week before being pipped by surprise winner Sam Brazel at the final hole, admitted it was a "bitter feeling" to narrowly miss out again.
"I felt that I give myself a really good chance coming in today again," he said. "I've been battling till the last hole.
"There's not really much more that you can ask yourself as a player than to have a chance coming up the last. The coin just didn't fall my side this time."
Americans Paul Peterson and Julian Suri, and Alexander Bjork of Sweden, also finished on 10 under.
Newly crowned European Tour champion Tommy Fleetwood was a further shot back.
Asian Tour winner Micah Lauren Shin of the United States continued his good form by ending the week in tied-seventh place that includes Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and overnight leader SSP Chawrasia of India, who had a day to forget after he signed off with a 72.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat shot a closing 67 to tie for 10th place on 273. The Thai star finished joint second at European Tour's season-ending event in Dubai last Sunday.
"I think I'm a little bit tired, playing a lot of golf. I didn't play good golf as I did in the last couple months," said Kiradech. "But overall, I managed to finish in the top-10 and this is still not a bad result."
Fellow Thai Poom Saksansin was a further stroke back at tied 16th after a final round 69.
Adelaide-born Ormsby, who turned professional in 2001, had won only one tournament in his career before yesterday -- the Asian Tour's Panasonic Open in India in 2013.
"It's pretty cool to get a win this late in your career," said the 37-year-old. "You definitely think that it might never happen, and you might have a good career but you never won."
The event's star names, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, ended on seven and five under respectively. afp/bangkok post
