Ashun Wu made history at the Lyoness Open powered by Sporthilfe Cashback Card as he became the first Chinese player to win multiple European Tour titles, and the first to claim one on European soil, courtesy of a one-shot victory over Spain’s Adrian Otaegui.
In a tense finale at Diamond Country Club, the 30 year old looked to be sailing to victory when he reached the turn, but a double-bogey at the tenth followed by a bogey at the 11th opened the door for several other challengers.
Indeed, Wu and Otaegui were tied for the lead stepping on to the 17th tee but the Spaniard could not get up and down from a greenside bunker on the penultimate hole and dropped a shot.
When Otaegui narrowly missed his birdie putt at the par three final hole, Wu was left with two putts for the victory and he duly obliged to sign for a closing 69 and a 13 under par total.
Player quotes:
Ashun Wu
“I am very happy right now. It was a very exciting finish and I still cannot believe it but my playing partners were really good today and the scores were very close. My mindset was very good today and it was a great week overall.
“At the tenth and 11th holes I just played two bad shots. I still kept working after that to do my best to make birdies and I did that.
“I just kept focussed over the last putt and I talked to my caddie and he said, ‘it’s no problem, it’s an easy line so just putt it in the hole’.
“It’s been my first time playing in Austria and the course was very good this week. The sponsors have been great and I have had some Chinese friends here supporting me so I must thank them all.”
Adrian Otaegui
“It was a great round. I was fighting for the whole 18 holes and that’s the most important thing for me. I started with two birdies at the third and the sixth and I was saving a lot of good pars too, holing some good putts.
“I made two more birdies at 15 and 16 which I was very pleased with. I dropped a shot on the 17th which was a shame but I’m happy with how I fought. I have been playing well lately and I’m happy with a good result here.”
Richard McEvoy
“I gave myself a lot of chances today, played very solid again. I think the green at the last was only the second I missed all day. I’m disappointed but at the same time, there are a lot of positives to take from this week.
“My game is coming together and everything is going the right direction to keep competing at the highest level. That’s two top tens in the last three weeks, which has been great so there is a lot to look forward to for the rest of the year.”
Results:
275 W Ashun (Chn) 69 72 65 69,
276 A Otaegui (Esp) 64 76 67 69,
277 R McEvoy (Eng) 71 69 68 69,
278 J Morrison (Eng) 70 72 68 68,
279 Z Lombard (RSA) 67 70 68 74,
280 G Bourdy (Fra) 68 69 70 73, C Wood (Eng) 71 71 70 68, J Luiten (Ned) 69 71 68 72, G Stal (Fra) 67 71 76 66,
282 M Carlsson (Swe) 71 74 67 70, N Cullen (Aus) 71 73 68 70, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 73 73 68 68, R Lee (Can) 71 76 66 69, E De La Riva (Esp) 69 74 68 71, T Van Der Walt (RSA) 72 74 68 68, C Hanson (Eng) 71 74 67 70, B Wiesberger (Aut) 70 74 69 69, C Paisley (Eng) 71 73 66 72,
284 R Gouveia (Por) 69 74 68 73, S Webster (Eng) 71 73 69 71, M Southgate (Eng) 70 76 71 67, N Bertasio (Ita) 72 74 68 70, M Foster (Eng) 74 72 67 71,
285 B Virto (Esp) 70 69 73 73, S Henry (Sco) 70 74 68 73,
286 T Lewis (Eng) 70 76 68 72, S Manley (Wal) 71 75 70 70, M Millar (Aus) 76 71 68 71, M Kinhult (Swe) 70 74 65 77, C Pigem (Esp) 75 71 67 73,
287 M Lundberg (Swe) 72 71 69 75, R Bland (Eng) 72 73 72 70, D Horsey (Eng) 69 77 72 69, M Hoey (Nir) 72 71 75 69, D Bransdon (Aus) 69 73 74 71, D Howell (Eng) 71 74 72 70, M Warren (Sco) 73 71 77 66,
288 J Carlsson (Swe) 74 70 74 70, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 72 75 73 68, D Burmester (RSA) 73 72 70 73, L Nemecz (Aut) 69 75 72 72,
289 D Gaunt (Aus) 71 75 73 70, S Jamieson (Sco) 69 72 75 73, L Slattery (Eng) 73 74 68 74, J Knutzon (USA) 70 76 70 73, G Havret (Fra) 71 72 77 69, J Kruger (RSA) 72 74 70 73, M Crespi (Ita) 70 71 73 75, S Walker (Eng) 73 72 71 73, A McArthur (Sco) 75 71 70 73,
290 P Oriol (Esp) 75 72 69 74, C Kumar (Ind) 71 72 75 72, D Im (USA) 73 74 72 71, F Fritsch (Ger) 74 71 71 74,
291 B Åkesson (Swe) 66 77 71 77, O Fisher (Eng) 73 71 74 73, D Brooks (Eng) 72 74 72 73, E Molinari (Ita) 73 71 71 76,
292 D Gavins (Eng) 72 74 74 72, M Ford (Eng) 72 70 75 75, P Peterson (USA) 75 72 75 70, C Costilla (Arg) 74 72 74 72,
293 B Evans (Eng) 72 71 71 79, A Wall (Eng) 71 75 69 78,
294 P Edberg (Swe) 72 75 69 78,
295 E Goya (Arg) 71 75 74 75,
