Daring eagle clinches maiden victory
Young Soomin Lee from South Korea held his nerve on the fifth day of the storm-delayed Shenzhen International in China for his maiden victory on the European Tour. The 22-year old did it in great style too finishing with a birdie on the 16th and an impressive eagle on the par 5, 17th hole at the Genzon Golf Club. With a tournament aggregate of 272, 16-under par, he lifted the title together with prizemoney of 412,353 euros, two strokes clear of Dutchman Joost Luiten and Brandon Stone from South Africa.
It was an exciting final day on the Monday (25 April) with a bunch of players in the hunt each with just a few holes left to complete of their final round. The trio of Soomin Lee, an on-form Lee Slattery from England and Frenchman Alexander Levy led the way on 13-under par when play resumed at 07.30 hours local time, an hour later than expected.
Dutchman makes his mark in China
Lurking in the early morning mist just one shot behind in his traditional last day Dutch orange was Joost Luiten. The player from Rotterdam was still smarting from his second spot in Spain the previous week and was not planning to let this tournament slip through his fingers.
Picking-up on his round from the day before, he holed-out for par at the 16th, then parred the long 17th and finished on a high by sinking a 10-foot putt for birdie on the last for a blemish-free 68 to become leader in the clubhouse at 14-under (68-66-72-68). He eventually finished in a tie for second place with Brandon Stone.
In this only his sixth start on the European Tour, Soomin Lee admitted to being “really, really nervous” in the final round, but feeling “comfortable” on Monday morning. Indeed, the storm delays in China meant that he could sleep-off his shaky Sunday start (a bogey at the 1st and a double-bogey at the 7th). He even managed to scare off any ghosts remaining from the Maybank Championship in Malaysia where he had let a three-shot lead disappear after making two double-bogeys in the last three holes and so eventually finish in a share of second place.
Soomin’s bravery pays off
With nerves of steel Lee went for the green in two at the 575-yard par 5, 17th in Shanzhen. He had made a double-bogey here the day before – his first dropped shots of the tournament. Today was different, his bravery paid off. With the touch of a true champion he rolled in the putt for eagle to create a three-shot cushion going up the 18th. Scintillating stuff from the South Korean whose only blemish on his back nine of 32 was, alas, a bogey at the last.
Wendy Hoad
PICTURED: Happy winner Soomin Lee from South Korea.