Song beats Spieth to win Singapore Open
Song Young-han, right, takes a selfie with Jordan Spieth after winning the SMBC Singapore Open held at the Serapong Golf course in Sentosa, Singapore, Monday. / Yonhap
Kim Hyo-joo wins season-opening LPGA event
By Nam Hyun-woo
Song Young-han
Kim Hyo-joo
Korea’s Song Young-han edged out No. 1 Jordan Spieth by one stroke in his career first professional victory on the Asian Tour, Monday, while Kim Hyo-joo opened her season with a win in the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.
At the SMBC Singapore Open on the par-71, 7,398-yard Santos Golf Club, Song fired a 12-under 272 to brush off Spite’s spirited chase in a Monday finish created by bad weather. The win is the first victory for the World No. 204 Korean golfer since he turned professional in 2013.
Song led the tournament from the second round and was five shots ahead of Spieth before the final round. However on Sunday, Spieth fired six birdies to put pressure on Song until the round was suspended because of a thunderstorm.
Resuming early Monday, with Song holding a two-shot lead, Spieth holed out a five-foot birdie on the last hole to finish his final round for a 5-under 66. Song, who played two groups behind the American, sank a nerve-racking 12-foot par putt on the 16th and managed to hold on to pars on the remaining holes.
“That one night [Sunday] felt like a week. It was crazy,” Song said on the Asian Tour website. “I couldn’t sleep and I was constantly thinking about putting throughout the night.”
Song won the KPGA Rookie of the Year honor in his debut season and jumped into Japan Golf Tour Organization last year to be top rookie after finishing 14th on the money list. However, he has been one step away from winning a tournament, finishing runner-up three times in Korea and Japan, respectively.
But in his first win, he beat out big-name Spieth, who reportedly received $1.2 million for playing in the $1 million tournament. Song collected $180,000.
``I fought hard in the final round but I was just a little bit too far back,” Spieth told Associated Press. “I missed a few putts (earlier in the tournament) that I normally make.”
In The Bahamas, Kim hoisted the trophy at the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, after firing an 18-under 274 for a two-stroke victory at the Ocean Club.
She shot a seven-under 66 in the final round, with a bogey and eight birdies, beating 2015 champion Kim Sei-young, Stacy Lewis and Anna Nordqvist. It was Kim’s third LPGA Tour victory.