ISPS Handa World Super 6: Aphibarnrat wins; 50/1 Herbert placed

Final round report

Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat secured a fourth European Tour title after beating James Nitties 2&1 to win the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth.

Aphibarnrat claimed the last of the 24 spots in the Super 6 via a play-off and then had to come through five rounds of match play on Sunday.

He overcame Ben Eccles, Yusaku Miyazato, Sean Crocker and Lucas Herbert before triumphing over Nitties.

Herbert, Ben Coley's 50/1 pre-tournament each-way tip, secured a full place meaning more profits for our star golf tipster. He beat Sam Horsfield 3 & 1.

Day three report

Kiradech Aphibarnrat was the last man to book his place in Sunday's match-play finale after seeing off Anthony Quayle on the fourth play-off hole on day three of the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth.

With the top 24 players after 54 holes of stroke play qualifying for the match play, a play-off was required to decide who would take the final eight berths after nine players finished in a tie for 17th on five under par.

Andrea Pavan, Yikeun Chang, Callan O'Reilly, Poom Saksansin, Zander Lombard, Stephen Leaney and Satoshi Kodaira all carded pars at the first play-off hole, leaving Quayle and Aphibarnrat to head back to the 18th tee after they made bogeys.

Two good up-and-downs on the next two play-off holes kept Aphibarnrat in the contest and after home hope Quayle failed to make par at the fourth extra hole, the 28-year-old calmly tapped in from close range to clinch the final spot.

Thailand's Prom Meesawat finished two shots clear at the top of the leaderboard after three rounds at Lake Karrinyup Country Club after signing for a 67 on day three.

Sean Crocker, Lucas Herbert (Ben Coley's outright tip at 50/1) and Thorbjorn Olesen were in a tie for second on 10 under par, with Englishman Sam Horsfield another two strokes back in joint-fifth.

Scotland's Grant Forrest also made it through to the match-play phase after finishing in share of ninth place.

Lee Westwood missed out after posting a third-round 78 to slip to two under overall.

Sky Bet, World Super 6, latest odds:

• 13/2 - Thorbjorn Oleson
• 8/1 - Lucas Herbert
• 9/1 Yusaku Miyazato
• Odds correct at 1145 GMT on 10/02/2018
• Click here for the very latest World Super 6 odds at Sky Bet

Day two report

Lee Westwood put himself in contention at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth after reaching the halfway stage as joint leader.

The Englishman started two strokes off overnight leader Brett Rumford as the Perth native shot an impressive 64 on the opening day at Lake Karrinyup Country Club.

But Westwood reeled in the defending champion with a colourful two-under-par 70 in windy conditions to join him at the top of the leaderboard on eight under.

The field has been cut from 156 to 80 players for Saturday's third round, where the top 24 players after 54 holes - with the top eight players seeded - will compete in a six-hole matchplay format to determine the winner.

Sky Bet make Westwood and Rumford 9/1 joint-favourites to lift the trophy, with Ben Coley's each-way selection Lucas Herbert a 16/1 shot and 200/1 tip Minwoo Lee into 200/1.

Westwood carded three birdies and two bogeys in his opening nine holes but still remained two shots behind Rumford after his solitary gain before they both picked up a shot at the 11th, only to each hand it back at the 13th.

The 44-year-old Westwood hit a stunning eagle at the 15th, which he also achieved in the first round, to draw level at nine under and when his Australian rival bogeyed the penultimate hole, he was one ahead.

However, Westwood dropped a shot at the last to fall back to eight under alongside Rumford, with Thailand's Prom Meesawat, Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, Scotland's Grant Forrest and Australian youngster Herbert one stroke further back.

Olesen produced one of the rounds of the day with a five-under 67 which saw six birdies and a bogey, while Herbert hit three under in a rollercoaster second round of six gains, a double-bogey and one dropped shot.

Meesawat became co-leader with Westwood and Rumford following six birdies and three bogeys, only to drop a shot on the final hole, with Forrest hitting a flawless five under on the back nine to surge up the leaderboard and join the trio at seven under for the tournament.

Westwood played alongside his joint leader during the first two days and will be with the Australian once again for the third round as he looks to battle for supremacy with the reigning champion.

"We both played well." Westwood told europeantour.com. "We haven't given too many shots away, made a few putts and I chipped in a couple of times. It's been fun over the first couple of days.

"I'm just trying to shoot as low as possible. I know if I carry on playing like I'm playing and a few putts start to go in, because I didn't really hole any putts today, I'll be thereabouts on the leaderboard.

"To be perfectly honest, matchplay is anybody's. You're going to need a lot of luck to win it."

South African Zander Lombard sits on six under for sole seventh, while Australian trio Anthony Quayle, Adam Blyth and amateur Lee, Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat, American Sean Crocker and Italy's Andrea Pavan are a shot further adrift.

Day one report

Lee Westwood's quest for a first title since 2015 started well as he carded an opening 66 at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 in Perth.

The Englishman carded five birdies and an eagle at Lake Karrinyup as players in the field search for the top-24 finish which will earn them a berth in Sunday's match play shootout.

Sky Bet make him 14/1 joint-third-favourite.

After 54 holes of traditional stroke play golf, just 24 players will progress to the final day and a switch to match play knockout, played over just six holes.

Westwood, making his debut in the event, is now in prime position to earn his spot and perhaps as one of the top eight seeds as he built on last week's tie for 11th in Malaysia.

"I played very nicely, very solidly," said Westwood. "Hit a lot of good shots, drove the ball well, putted nicely as well without anything really going in for me. I chipped in on 15 for eagle but other than that, everything was pretty close range.

"It was nice to shoot 66. I don't think this is a tournament where you want to be playing catch-up, really. You want to get yourself in the mix and try and cruise through the second and third days and get into that top 24."

Defending champion Brett Rumford leads the way on his home course having entertained thoughts of a sub-60 round before eventually settling for 64.

Rumford, who beat teen sensation Phachara Khongwatmai to win the inaugural running of the tournament last year, made seven birdies in his first nine holes but two bogeys across the next three ended hopes of a 59.

He's Sky Bet's 11/1 favourite to lift the trophy once more.

Like Rumford, local man Jason Scrivener knows the course inside-out and continued his fine record with a round of 67, one better than America's David Lipsky, who holed out for eagle on the par-four seven on his way to a four-under 68.

Ben Coley's 200/1 tip Daisuke Kataoka (now 50/1) went bogey-free in a round of 67 to sit alongside Scrivener in a big group on five-under, which was further expanded by Kiradech Aphibarnrat (12/1) and Wade Ormsby (20/1) in the afternoon.

Related links

• Sky Bet's World Super 6 odds