6
Poulter Powers to Title, 2010
The 2010 championship was another classic, with Ian Poulter sealing his 10th European Tour title with a tournament record total of 258 (22-under-par). But the Englishman was made to work every inch of the way.
Poulter had a decidedly hot putter to thank after taking the second round lead with a jaw-dropping 10-under-par 60. Consistently hitting the ball to the centre of the small Fanling greens, the 34-year-old was rolling in 10-15-footers with amazing regularity.
But come the final round and Poulter, who had followed up with a 64 in the third round, was having to fend off the challenges mounted firstly by former winner Simon Dyson and then Italian teenage phenomenon Matteo Manassero, who fought his way right back into the tournament with a magnificent 62. Rory McIlroy, who had fired the low round on day one with a 63, was in the hunt yet again, but faded over the closing holes.
Poulter, who was playing with Graeme McDowell in the final group, made the tournament his own with an assured stretch of holes on the back nine, and could afford to bogey the last hole to claim the win by the slimmest of margins. For the record, Poulter made only two bogeys during the entire event, which highlights how unusually friendly the scoring conditions were at Fanling that week.
5
Jiménez Makes History, 2012
History was made last year as 48-year-old Miguel Angel Jiménez became the oldest winner in European Tour victory after claiming his third Hong Kong Open title with a brilliant display of ball-striking. Making only two bogeys all week, the Spaniard held off the challenge of a rejuvenated Fredrik Andersson Hed to win by just one shot at an event that through up plenty of surprises along the way.
Jiménez aside, the veterans flourished at Fanling, with New Zealand’s Michael Campbell and Zhang Lian-wei of China featuring on the leader board for most of the tournament before falling back on an enthralling final day. But it was the form of world number one Rory McIlroy that raised more than a few eyebrows. The defending champion opened up with a poor 73 and, despite a bright start to his second round, went into freefall on the back nine to miss the cut. Twenty-four hours later, McIlroy was sunning himself on a Dubai beach with his tennis-star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki.
Not that Jiménez cared about any of that. With his trade mark cigar in hand, the Spaniard was effusive when asked about his remarkable longevity. "This is maybe the olive oil in my joints, and the nice Rioja wine and those things that keep you fit and flexible," he beamed.
4
McClellan’s Miracle, 1994
American journeyman pro Craig McClellan stood in the middle of the 18th fairway of the final round needing an eagle two to force a play-off with South African stalwart David Frost. Incredibly, McClellan did exactly that by holing his seven-iron from 160 yards away, but succumbed to the pressure in extra time as Frost walked away with the title. Nevertheless, McClellan’s shot ranks alongside that of Lin Wen-tang’s [see 2008] as the finest (or luckiest) in the history of the event.
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