BEIJING, 18 Sept 2016, (HK Golfer News Wire) - Saxon tied for second at the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica’s 85 Abierto OSDE de Centro in mid-April. He then began his PGA TOUR China career, a then-career best solo-second showing at the Yulongwan Yunnan Open. By playing a bogey-free round Saturday and playing his final 27 holes without a bogey, there wouldn’t be an almost-won this week for Saxon during overcast, rainy conditions at Topwin Golf and Country Club.
“This is by far the biggest win I’ve ever had,” said a smiling Saxon after the round. “I feel great. Whenever you have a chance to win and you’re able to capitalize on that and deal with the pressure and the nerves that go with that, it’s obviously very rewarding,.” Saxon moved to No. 2 on the Order of Merit with the win.
After rolling in a birdie at No. 15, Saxon seemingly was in full control, holding a three-shot lead with three holes to play. Then came Zhang, who wouldn’t go away. He birdied No. 16 then hit his approach to five feet on the 17th, a putt he calmly rolled in. Suddenly only a shot separated Saxon and Zhang, the 18th hole facing the two who were playing the final round together along with Hong Kong’s Shun Yat Hak, who had fallen from contention.
On the par-5 closing hole, both players were on the green in three, Saxon facing a 30-foot birdie putt after a so-so approach, and Zhang from the more reasonable 14 feet.
“I wasn’t really trying to make the 30-footer that I had. It was a long, tough putt. I was just trying to lag it up there to where I wouldn’t have any work left and be able to tap in my par putt,” said Saxon. “I knew Zhang had a chance to tie me. If he missed, I would win, and if he made it, hopefully I could go beat him in a playoff.”
Saxon accomplished his goal, leaving himself just a little more than a foot for par. Zhang’s putt never had a chance the minute he stroked it, and when Saxon calmly tapped in the win was his.
It was another disappointment for Zhang, who played his best golf of the year during the last four days. He suffered the same plight—losing in a playoff—at the season-opening Henan Open and then came up just short this week. It is his sixth overall second-place finish in his PGA TOUR China career to go with his two wins.
“We spent five hours out here, and you’re sort of on edge all day. I was just trying to go through my process and my routine, hit good golf shots and play a good round,” Saxon added about his thoughts during the round. “I was able to do that, and to have it all lead up to a one-footer for the win, that was great.
“Did I feel good about my game coming in?” Saxon continued. “And did I think I would play well? Absolutely. But there is a lot to be done for it to be my week and have a win at the end of the day.”
Saxon will travel to Hong Kong on Monday for a media event in conjunction with the Clearwater Bay Open, the circuit’s next tournament scheduled for the first week of November. After that, he’ll travel back to the U.S., to Oklahoma, to spend a month working on his game and celebrating the win before returning to Southeast Asia for the final, four-week push. With his second-place Order of Merit standing, Saxon is in solid position to earn 2017 Web.com Tour membership. But despite the huge advantage Zecheng Dou holds, Saxon isn’t giving up on catching the teenager.
“I’ll come back for the last four events. Dou is quite a bit ahead of me, but who’s to say you can’t win the last four,” he added. “I can’t give up on trying to catch Dou, even though he’s way ahead. I’ll just come back and try to play as well as I can and see how it all shakes out.”