The Inaugural Champion

Nisbet spent most of the week under the radar after rounds of 69, 67 and 65. Kang, 26, started the final day at 14-under, four ahead of China’s Zhang Xinjun and South Korean Lee Dai-han, and remained in the lead until a double bogey at 12 and a bogey at 13 left him 13-under. He had also moved to 13-under at 13 after sinking his sixth birdie of the day, offset by two bogeys. Nisbet birdied the par-five 15th to move into the lead, but Kang then matched him, and the pattern was repeated at the 18th, where Kang missed a 12-foot eagle putt for the win.

Kang, who also led after the first round, was downbeat after missing an opportunity to add to his win in Chengdu in June. After a bogey at the par-three first, the American seemed in control as he maintained a buffer with birdies at three, seven and eight, but a double at the par-four 12 gave the chasing pack hope. “I calculated the wind wrong. I thought there was more downwind and I put it in the water. I hit a good shot and I was surprised it went in. I’ll learn from it and play better next time and hopefully not make the same mistakes again,” said the elder brother of LPGA Tour star Danielle Kang.