KUNMING, 4 Sept 2016, (HK Golfer News Wire) - Zecheng Dou became the greatest winner in Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA TOUR China Series history Sunday when he won his fourth tournament title of the season - and career - with a three-shot victory over Charlie Saxon at the Yulongwan Yunnan Open. This season, Dou has won four of the seven tournaments played, allowing him to pass both countryman Haotong Li and New Zealand’s Josh Geary on the all-time victory list in the three-season history of the Series.
But Dou’s victory was by no means easy. Dou was cruising along nicely during an overcast final round at the Yulongwan Yunnan Open. Through 11 holes, he was 1-under for the day and had increased his three-stroke, 54-hole lead into a four-shot cushion. But the weather was overcast for a reason. Lightning in the area eventually forced officials to pull players off the course for three-and-a-half hours, and when Dou returned once the storm passed, he immediately bogeyed No. 13. At the same time, Saxon, who had only made one birdie through 13 holes, returned from the delay to birdie Nos. 15, 16 and 17.
Every time Saxon put pressure on Dou, though, the teenager had an answer for the former University of Oklahoma player. Saxon moved to within two shots of Dou with a birdie at No. 15, and playing in the group ahead of Dou, Saxon cut Dou’s lead to one with a birdie at the par-5 16th. Dou answered with a birdie of his own there to restore his lead and then added a birdie on 17 moments after Saxon recorded the same score. With a two-shot advantage with one hole to play, Dou had things in control.
While Saxon was playing his best tournament of the season, Dou was just a bit better - a storyline several other players know all too well in 2016. Dou left no doubt about his triumph by also adding a birdie on No. 18 for the final victory margin. Dou’s birdie-birdie-birdie finish matched champion Gunn Charoenkul’s three-birdies-to-close at this same tournament in 2014.
“I’m just very, very happy,” Dou said, ranked No. 213 this week in the Official World Golf Ranking and poised to move inside the top 200 for the first time. Dou’s career-high position is 202nd, after his victory at the Nanjing Open. Dou also passed the ￥1-million mark in season earnings, with ￥1,002,720 this season (approximately U.S. $164,400). He is the first PGA TOUR China player to surpass seven figures in a single year.
“I have to admit the delay slowed me down a little bit,” he noted, “the long wait causing me some problems. But I soon adjusted, and those last three birdies were great. I controlled my mind well today.”
“Obviously, I would have loved to win. I did everything I could and made a lot of birdies coming in,” said Saxon. “I played as well as I could, and Dou just made more birdies than me. I can’t do much about that, and I did everything in my control to try to win. It just wasn’t my week. But I am happy about second place.”
Japan’s Shotaro Wada, who turned 20 in January, easily enjoyed his best tournament of the season. Appearing out of contention following an even-par 71 Saturday, Wada, a native of Fukuoka, had nine birdies and made a back-nine charge before finishing third, at 17-under. Wada made birdies on 14, 15 and 16 but could only par in, unable to post a score that put pressure on Dou.