Round 4 - Shubhankar Sharma fires 10 birdies to secure win

February 04, 2018

India's Shubhankar Sharma fired 10 birdies to stun crowds and secure a two-shot win at the US$3 million Maybank Championship in Malaysia on Sunday.

It is the second Asian Tour and European Tour victory for the 21-year-old, who pocketed US$500,000 and triumphed with a 10-under-par 62 on the final day of the tournament just two months after clinching the Joburg Open.

Speaking to reporters after the win, the world number 193 said 10 was his lucky number.

"It's always tough to make more birdies when you're trailing the leaders, but I was calm and fantastic, so it was great," he said.

"I've had a few 10-under pars, the first one I shot was in Manila two years back. And then I shot 10-under again in Joburg to win, so that number is lucky for me."

In sweltering conditions, Sharma came into the final round tied-19th, needing to make up four shots to catch overnight leaders Spaniard Jorge Campillo and South African Dylan Frittelli.

His road to victory began with an incredible four consecutive birdies, which included a 15-foot putt at the seventh hole.

Another birdie on the ninth was followed with an impressive birdie on the 11th, before he dropped in a further four to finish on a high.

"I didn't start well, but made the four birdies," he said.

"Even on the back nine, I just kept playing well. It's still sinking in, really happy with the way I played."

Runner-up Jorge Campillo meanwhile carded 68 for an overall 19-under-par 269.

His compatriot Pablo Larrazabal was tied-third with New Zealander Ryan Fox.

Fritelli finished tied-fifth, along with Italy’s Nino Bertasio, India’s Khalin Joshi and Japanese duo Ryo Ishikawa and Hideto Tanihara.

Lee Westwood, who shot a 62 on Friday, was unable to maintain his form and finished tied-11th together with French pair Matthieu Pavon and Romain Wattel, Netherlands’ Joost Luiten, Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer and American Paul Peterson.

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Round 3 - Frittelli & Campillo tied for lead in Malaysia

February 03, 2018

England's Lee Westwood turned in a 70 on the penultimate round of the Maybank Championship in Malaysia on Saturday to trail joint leaders Jorge Campillo and Dylan Frittelli by three shots.

The 44-year-old Westwood won the Malaysian Open here at Saujana Golf and Country Club 21 years ago.

And he shot a 62 on Friday for the lowest score yet.

Spaniard Campillo and South Africa's Frittelli both dropped in a 66 for the single-stroke advantage.

The Maybank Championship remains up for grabs with the top 18 golfers separated by only three shots with the final round on Sunday.

World number 47 Frittelli, who bagged two European Tour titles in 2017, is eyeing the championship.

"It is super bunched. A lot of Japanese guys are up there, a few other Spanish guys, Jorge played great today with me and I'm not sure if we will be drawn together tomorrow but I'm excited to mix it up," said Frittelli, who shot six birdies.

Campillo, who was one of the six golfers to fire an eagle on the par-5 first hole, said it set the tone for a good round.

"I hit a perfect driver and a nice six iron to about four or five metres and made that one. Always nice to start with an eagle," said the world number 186.

"I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. It is a nice position to be and I'm excited."

Trailing the leaders tied-third are American Berry Henson and India's Joshi Khalin, who ended the day 14-under-par 202.

Italian Nino Bertasio and Thailand's Phachara Khongwatmai, who shared the lead on Friday, were two shots off the leaderboard, accompanied by Prayad Marksaeng, Hideto Tanihara, Ryo Ishikawa and Marc Warren.

Ryan Fox hit the best shot of the day when he sank in an albatross on the first.

The Kiwi lies in the same bracket as Westwood at 12-under-par 204, along with Japan's Yusaku Miyazato, India's Shiv Kapur, French duo Michael Lorenzo-Vera and Benjamin Hebert, American Paul Peterson and Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal.

Only 72 golfers will compete on Sunday after another eight were cut on Saturday, including Northern Irishman Darren Clarke.

Round 2 - Khongwatmai & Bertasio top crowded leaderboard

February 02, 2018

Thai teenager Phachara Khongwatmai posted a bogey-free round 65 to share a joint single-stroke lead with Italy's Nino Bertasio at the halfway stage of the Maybank Championship in Malaysia on Friday.

The duo hold a marginal advantage over Scotland's Marc Warren, Japan's Yuta Ikeda and English duo Lee Westwood and Chris Paisley, who are all tied on third.

Thai sensation Phachara, 18, said he learnt a lot from the match-play style tournament.

"My partner Hideto Tanihara taught me a lot and he calmed me down because I was very nervous," Phachara, who shot seven birdies, told reporters.

"It has been a long time since I've been bogey-free. I putted very well because I didn't hit the ball close to the hole."

Earlier, Westwood finished with a 62 after an astonishing 11 birdies at the Saujana Golf and Country Club, where he won the Malaysian Open in 1997.

"It's nice to be in contention and to know this golf course well," Westwood, 44 said.

A competitive field saw a host of golfers remain only two shots off Phachara and Bertasio in tied-seventh, including last year's runner-up David Lipsky of the United States.

Top-ranked Henrik Stenson of Sweden also made the cut after an improved performance for a 67 to lurk six shots from the joint leaders.

Perhaps the biggest name to miss the cut was China's Li Haotong, who finished in an abysmal tied-125th.

There were high hopes that Li would stamp his mark on this tournament after his eye-catching victory at the Dubai Desert Classic last week, where he upstaged four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy.

Leading scores after the second round of the Maybank Championship Malaysia (Par 72):

Round 1 - Paisley takes clubhouse lead in unfinished round

February 01, 2018

Chris Paisley shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-shot clubhouse lead over David Horsey after a weather-interrupted first round at the Maybank Championship on Thursday.

Play was suspended for almost two hours due to the threat of storms and 40 players will need to return on Friday morning to complete their rounds.

Paisley, who already has a European Tour title to his name this year after winning last month's South African Open, posted seven birdies at the Saujana Golf and Country Club.

''I hit it well off the tee so I gave myself a lot of wedges and short irons into the greens,'' Paisley said. ''It's very hot and there's not much wind so scoring-wise it is quite easy but to keep your focus is quite difficult with how tiring the heat is.''

Henrik Stenson, the 2016 British Open champion, was well down the field on 72. Haotong Li, who won the Dubai Desert Classic last Sunday, fared even worse as he slumped to a 74.

Defending champion Fabrizio Zanotti made a good start as he posted a 68 to finish in a share of 10th place with 14 other players, including Europe's Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn.

Scores