VEGAS DEFENDS RBC CANADIAN OPEN TITLE
Week 30

Jhonattan Vegas successfully defended his RBC Canadian Open title Sunday at Glen Abbey, beating Charley Hoffman with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff moving to a career best of World No. 48.

England's Jordan Smith claimed his maiden European Tour title with a play-off victory over defending champion Alex Levy at the Porsche European Open.

Katsumasa Miyamoto had a sizzling 63 to finish at 266, winning by one stroke over In-hoi Hur at the Dunlop SRIXON Fukushima Open.

31ST JULY 2017 | 05:11 AM

PGA Tour – RBC Canadian Open

Jhonattan Vegas successfully defended his RBC Canadian Open title Sunday at Glen Abbey, beating Charley Hoffman with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

Vegas' approach from the left bunker on the par-5 18th hit the grass just above the sand lip and still had enough power to clear the water and go through the green.

"When I heard the clip, because obviously I didn't see it, I knew that it was probably going to go in the water, because I didn't know exactly how hard it hit it," Vegas said. "But then when I saw the ball in the air, it was still going really hard and forward."

The 32-year-old Venezuelan chipped to a foot -- after racing a chip past the hole in regulation from the same area en route to a par -- and won when Hoffman's birdie try from the back bunker slid past the hole.

"It's been a special day," Vegas said. "I knew that I had to shoot a good round today to have a chance to win again. I just came out with an aggressive mentality, just feeling really good about my game. When I started making a few birdies, especially the putt for birdie on 7, I started feeling the same chills that I felt last year when I won, and I just knew that something good could happen if I kept that going."

European Tour - Porsche European Open

England's Jordan Smith claimed his maiden European Tour title with a play-off victory over defending champion Alex Levy at the Porsche European Open.

The lead changed hands throughout the afternoon at Green Eagle Golf Courses in Hamburg as Levy and overnight leader Smith were engaged in an exciting final-round battle.

Levy led by a single shot as he stood at the 18th tee, but when playing partner Smith holed his ten foot birdie putt to get to 13 under and join the Frenchman at the summit, he was forced to tap in his tricky par putt to force a play-off.

Both players reached the putting surface in two at the first extra hole but Levy was in the box seat after sending his eagle putt to within three feet, with Smith another 12 feet away from the hole.

After the Englishman missed his tricky putt, Levy had the chance to finish the contest but he missed his close-range birdie effort - so the pair headed back to the 18th tee.

And after sending his monster eagle putt to within three feet of the hole, Smith tapped in his close-range birdie effort to secure his first victory in his 25th event.

Japan Golf Tour - Dunlop SRIXON Fukushima Open

Katsumasa Miyamoto had a sizzling 63 to finish at 266, winning by one stroke over In-hoi Hur of South Korea, who shot a final-round 65.

Web.com Tour – Digital Ally Open

Dou Ze Cheng had an historic week in Overland Park, becoming the first Chinese-born player to win on the Web.com Tour. In a 36-hole marathon on Sunday, at the Nicklaus Club at LionsGate, the 20-year-old from Henan carded 61-66 and posted a 25-under-par 259 total, good for a three-stroke victory at the Digital Ally Open.

“I was talking to my team and I didn’t know if I needed to keep practicing or get more experience on the Web.com Tour instead of trying to get to the PGA TOUR so fast,” said Dou. “I never thought I could win this year.”

Before his victory, the former PGA TOUR China Order of Merit winner had one top-10 and was No. 53 on the money list. Now Dou is headed to the PGA TOUR after earning a first-place prize of $117,000.

“It’s a big honor to represent China and come play in the United States,” he said. “Playing and learning from the best, competing and earning my TOUR card, it feels amazing right now.”

Dou’s game has evolved since turning pro in 2014. Dou competed on PGA TOUR China the past two seasons. In 2016, Dou recorded four wins on his way to winning the Order of Merit, including a victory at the Henan Open in front of friends and family.

“That was everything,” said Dou about his time on PGA TOUR China. “As an amateur I was playing on PGA TOUR China in a couple of events. Just trying to grow my confidence and work on my skills while learning. Then, the second year, when I turned pro, I finished fourth on the money list and came to Q School and didn’t play well enough to make it. And the third year I played in China and won. It was a breakthrough for me. I’m now more prepared than I was.”


Challenge Tour – Swedish Challenge hosted by Robert Karlsson


Estanislao Goya produced a stunning final round to claim his first European title in eight years after triumphing at the Swedish Challenge hosted by Robert Karlsson.


The two-time European Challenge Tour champion entered the final day at Katrineholms Golfklubb two shots off the lead after three consecutive rounds of 69.


After three birdies in his first four holes, the Argentinian reduced the deficit to just one shot behind overnight leader Ross Kellett.


The 29 year old, whose last European victory came at the dual-ranking Madeira Islands Open in 2009, dug deep as his rivals fell away, carding four more gains before tapping in for a 65 – the lowest round of the day in Katrineholm.


With his nearest challenger Mikael Lundberg needing to eagle the last to force a play-off, Goya was forced to wait for his seventh professional win.


Following Sweden’s Lundberg bogey at the last, an exultant Goya was overjoyed to return to the winners’ circle with a three-stroke triumph.


“It feels amazing,” he said. “I haven’t won for so long now, so to be a winner again is such an amazing feeling. I haven’t been so calm on a golf course for such a long time – and I was just really calm all week.



Sunshine Tour - Vodacom Origins- Highland Gate

Doug McGuigan finished the week with a trout and a trophy, and looked capable of catching both throughout as he won the 54-hole R750,000 Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate.


He carded a final-round two-under-par 70 to move to 10-under for the tournament, and that gave him a two-stroke edge over the charging Brandon Stone, as the 2016 South African Open champion made five birdies in his last eight holes to finish one off the pace.


McGuigan was strolling to victory at 12-under through the 11th hole, and a stumble in the form of a triple-bogey seven at the 12th saw his chances of a first Sunshine Tour victory in five years suddenly fade. His last win came in 2012 at the ISPS Handa Match Play Championship.


“The 12th hole got me a little alert about things,” he said. “I was cruising along nicely, playing brilliantly and I hit a weak shot. The course can penalise you quickly and I made triple.”


Stone’s charge for victory started poorly, and a double-bogey six on the second hole had him starting on the back foot. He turned in one-over 37, which was three poorer than McGuigan, and that left him with a lot of ground to make up.


McGuigan followed a birdie on two with a bogey on three, but it was all pretty good for him after that. Successive birdies on seven and eight, and another on 11 saw him pull clear. And then came the 12th. But he rallied with birdies on 14 and 16 and he was able to get home safely. “To recover like I did, I’m pleased about that,” he said. “It shows me what I can do if I need to.


Nordic Golf League - Gamle Fredrikstad Open


Daniel Jennevret from Vasator's Golf Club won his first win over two years. The win gave Daniel 63,000 SEK and one climb up to 13 places at the Golfbox Nordic Golf League Ranking. Not to mention is that Daniel has only played three tournaments this year on the Nordic Golf League and finhsed top 10 in all 3 starts.




EuroPro Tour – Matchroom Sport Championship


Sam Connor carded a final-round 68 to win the Matchroom Sport Championship by seven shots on 20 under par on a dry and windy day at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa in Bedfordshire.


Connor (Alsager Golf & Country Club) made this his third EuroPro title, after two wins in 2015, and lead from start to finish on the final day.


Jonathan Thomson (Rotherham) and James Simpson (Close House Golf Club) came closest to challenging Connor, carding fantastic -7 and -6 final rounds respectively, both ending the tournament on -13. It wasn’t enough to stop Connor though who responded to a putting foul challenge on the 5th, which wasn’t upheld, with three consecutive birdies.


“I feel really good, it’s not really sunk in that I’ve won yet.”: said Connor, who wins £10,000 as well as a brand new Motocaddy S3 PRO electric trolley with lithium battery, Bushnell Pro X2 Range Finder and Bolle sunglasses.

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