Spaniard Adrian Otaegui won a dramatic China Open on the DP World Tour by a single stroke from Italy's Guido Migliozzi On Sunday after carding a superb final-round 65.
The fifth European Tour victory of Otaegui's career arrived via a total score of 18-under at the end of just 54 holes for the week, with Saturday's third-round action at Hidden Grace Golf Club cancelled due to thunder and lightning in the Shenzhen area.
Not only was a fifth European Tour success important to Otaegui, but the 31-year-old also booked his spot at the upcoming PGA Championship as a result of finishing third in the Asian Swing portion of the DP World Tour's calendar.
Sebastian Soderberg - who, despite his disappointment, still finished top of the Asian Swing - was also aiming to clinch a wire-to-wire victory in China, but the Swede endured a tough final round and could only manage a level-par 72 just days after firing an electric 63.
As the Spanish champion picked up each of his seven birdies without a dropped shot, Soderberg simply could not find any traction of his own and was passed for the lead by Otaegui inside the final three holes. But after both birdied 17, the pair were tied at the top as the eventual winner finished with a par to set the clubhouse lead at -18.
The moment @adrianotaegui claimed his FIFTH DP World Tour title 👏🇪🇸#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/Rb9bemhJHAMay 5, 2024
However, stood on the 18th tee box with a chance to win, Soderberg - who has been in such excellent form of late - sent his drive out of bounds to close with a double bogey and slip back into a tie for third.
Reacting to successfully overturning a five-shot deficit at the start of the day for a fifth DP World Tour victory, Otaegui said: "I'm very, very happy, I'm extremely happy. I had to wait a little bit since I finished, see what was happening in the final group. But, luckily for me, things turned up well and I'm extremely happy.
"I was starting five shots back and I tried not to look at the leaderboard, not think about the result, try to play how I played on Thursday and Friday and think if things go well, it's a course where I can have some birdie chances.
"I have been putting well, I was feeling more and more confident through the week with the putter and I knew if I had birdie chances that I could potentially hole a few. I think I was actually feeling more calm through the round."
Briefly discussing his PGA Championship achievement, too, Otaegui said: "Playing a Major this year was a big goal for me. I’m delighted that I will be at the PGA Championship in two weeks. It will be just enough time to rest a little bit at home next week and then head to America."
Soderberg ended alongside Englishman Paul Waring and Swiss player, Joel Girrbach on -16 while Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go finished in solo sixth at 15-under. South Africa's Brandon Stone carded a brilliant final-round 64 to sit one shot further back.
Austrian Matthias Schwab and American Johannes Veerman finished T8 at 13-under, while France's Antoine Rozner wrapped up the top-10 at 12-under.
The DP World Tour season will not return until after the PGA Championship takes place, with the European Swing beginning at the Soudal Open in Belgium between May 23-26.
