KLM Open: Wu Ashun beats Chris Wood to title

By Sporting Life

18:26 · SUN September 16, 2018

Wu Ashun was proud to become the most successful Chinese player in European Tour history as he birdied the last to beat England's Chris Wood into second at the KLM Open.

Leaderboard

-16 Wu Ashun

-15 Chris Wood

-14 Hideto Tanihara, Thomas Detry

Day four report

Wu Ashun was proud to become the most successful Chinese player in European Tour history as he birdied the last to beat England's Chris Wood into second at the KLM Open.

The victory in Holland was Wu's third on the European circuit, edging him one clear of the total held by Li Haotong.

Wu had to fight hard to overcome Wood in Spijk, with the 2016 Ryder Cup star leading for most of the day before the 33-year-old birdied three of his last five holes in a 67 to get to 16 under and win by one shot.

"It is very special for a Chinese player to play on the European Tour," he told europeantour.com. "I love to play over here and to win three times feels amazing."

He added on Sky Sports Golf: "Unbelievable this week. I am so happy. Very happy today and thank you everyone. It was beautiful weather this week too and a lot of good golf played here and I like this golf course very much.

"Thank you to my wife, she is here to support me."

Wood entered the day with a one-shot lead and made a bogey-birdie start, with Wu picking up shots on the second and fourth to edge into the lead.

A Wood birdie on the sixth coupled with a Wu bogey on the seventh gave the 30-year-old the lead at the turn, and further gains on the 10th and 11th meant Wood was three clear with seven to play.

A double-bogey after finding water on the next trimmed Wood's advantage and while he got back to two ahead with a birdie on the 13th, Wu made gains on the 14th and 15th before hitting a stunning second into the par five last to set up his closing birdie.

Belgian Thomas Detry and Japan's Hideto Tanihara were 14 under, a shot clear of Irish three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.

Day three report

Chris Wood will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KLM Open after an excellent late burst of scoring on day three in Holland.

The Englishman came home in 31 to sign for a 65 and edge ahead of countryman Jonathan Thomson, Japan's Hideto Tanihara and China's Wu Ashun.

The 2016 Ryder Cup star has three wins on the European Tour but a fourth looked a long way off as he bogeyed the second to sit six shots behind early leader Thomson in Spijk.

A lay up and an excellent pitch into the par-five sixth started the comeback and he played the 13th, 15th and last in similar fashion, adding further birdies on the seventh, 10th and 12th to get his nose in front.

"I'm pleasantly surprised," he told europeantour.com. "My target was 15 under for the tournament so I'm going to look a little bit differently at that now. I'll take another 65 tomorrow if you offer it me now."

Thomson made a blistering start with four birdies in his first six holes but bogeys on the tenth and 13th stalled his momentum before he hit back with a gain on the 15th.

Tanihara was bogey-free as he equalled the lowest round of the week with a 63, while overnight leader Wu needed two birdies in his last five holes to fire a level-par 71.

England's Richard McEvoy was at 11 under after a 64, a shot clear of Irish three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Scot David Drysdale.

Day Two Report

Wu Ashun fired a second-round 66 at the KLM Open to open up a three-shot lead over England's Jonathan Thomson in Holland.

The Chinese held a one-shot advantage after day one in Spijk and carded seven birdies and two bogeys to get to 12 under, although Thomson threatened to overshadow him with a brilliant birdie run.

The 22-year-old holed a 40-foot putt on the 10th and then made six birdies in a row to turn in 28 and raise hopes of a first round of 59 in European Tour history.

Thomson - at six foot nine, the tallest player in European Tour history - found the hazard on the first and a bogey stalled his momentum, eventually coming home in level par 35 to sign for a 64.

After losing in a play-off in Denmark recently, Thomson is edging closer to keeping his place on Tour for next season, quite an achievement for a rookie who battled leukemia for five years as a child.

"I am hitting some great form and playing well, my confidence is also getting higher and higher and that's all that matters to me at this part of the season," he told europeantour.com.

"Experiences like I had in Denmark are invaluable and every single week you have to go out and just draw on them."

Wu is a two-time winner on the European Tour and made birdies on the first, second, sixth, 10th, 12th, 16th and 17th to go with bogeys on the fifth and 15th.

Another Chinese player in Li Haotong was at eight under alongside Scot David Drysdale, with England's Chris Wood a further shot back.

Day one report

Wu Ashun fired a bogey-free 64 to lead the way at the KLM Open but England's Chris Wood was just one shot behind him after day one in Holland.

Wood had set the target at six under in the morning with a blemish-free effort of his own but Wu made seven birdies in the afternoon to hit the front, with 13 players then in the group at five under.

Bristolian Wood made the European Ryder Cup team in 2016 thanks to a win at the BMW PGA Championship but that was his last victory having finished twice so far this season in Oman and France.

The 30-year-old made birdies on the 13th, 14th, 15th, third, seventh and ninth, and was delighted with his putting performance.

"It was perfect out there this morning," he told europeantour.com "The course is in such good condition and the greens are as good as any that we have played all year.

"When that is one of the best parts of your game it is great, especially when you get your eye in and knock a few in like I did today."

Wu is a two-time winner on the European Tour and he made gains on the 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 18th, fourth and eighth.

Englishmen Ashley Chesters, Eddie Pepperell, Aaron Rai, Jordan Smith and Matthew Southgate were all two shots off the lead alongside Scot Bradley Neil.