Hend edges Que in playoff; Baek triumphs
SCOTT Hend clinched his maiden European Tour title at the Hong Kong Open yesterday when the Australian saved a par on the crucial 18th hole to force a playoff in which he prevailed over Filipino Angelo Que.
Hend, 41, holed a par putt on the first playoff hole after Que had missed the green on the 18th and ended with a bogey.
The pair finished tied on 13-under-par 267 at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling with Ireland’s Kevin Phelan finishing third two strokes behind in the tournament, co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour.
Momentum was with Que who hit a great approach shot on the final regulation hole for his seventh birdie in the round of 4-under 66.
Hend, who previously had five victories on the Asian Tour, started second on the leaderboard and needed a tricky save after finding sand on the 18th. He managed to sink his putt to card a 3-under 67 and tie Que for the playoff.
“I felt quite calm, the only thing is that hole at the end you never want to have a go at the pin because you can make a bogey quiet easily so I wasn’t really sure how to play it,” the big-hitting Australian said.
“Unfortunately Angelo made a bogey, I would have rather one of us made a birdie because he’s a great guy and it would be nice to earn the win on a positive note. But I’ll take the win and I’m ecstatic.”
Hend also won his playing rights for Europe next season.
Four-time major winner Ernie Els signed off with 69 for a share of the fifth place at 271.
In Incheon, South Korea, Baek Kyu-jung of South Korea won a three-way playoff yesterday to claim the LPGA’s KEB-HanaBank Championship.
Baek, making the first LPGA start of her career, shot a final-round 67 to finish tied at 10-under 278 with Brittany Lincicome and compatriot Chun In-gee, then birdied the first playoff hole to take the title.
In the playoff, Lincicome and Baek hit third shots to four feet on the par-5 18th. American Lincicome missed her birdie putt while Baek calmly made hers for the win. Chun’s hopes for the title were dashed when her approach shot went into the greenside water.
Baek, 19, has three victories this year on the Korean tour. She became the fourth teenager to win on the LPGA Tour this season joining Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko and Kim Hyo-joo.
No. 2-ranked Park In-bee of South Korea shot a 67 to finish one stroke behind the leaders.
US Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie finished two strokes back after a 67. Wie was playing in her first tournament since withdrawing from the Evian Championship in September with a right hand injury.
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