ASIAN / EUROPEAN Tour - Honma Hong Kong Open Presented By Amundi

ASIAN / EUROPEAN Tour

Date: 22.-25. Nov. 2018.

Tournament Name: Honma Hong Kong Open Presented By Amundi

Course: Hong Kong Golf Club
Venue: Hong Kong

Total Prize Money: US$2,000,000

Players: 132.

22. Nov.

Round 1.

Leader: 3. Players

Score: 65. (-5)

Leaderboard

23. Nov.

Round 2.

Leader: Rai Aaron (Eng)

Score: 126. (-14)

Leaderboard

24. Nov.

Round 3.

Leader: Rai Aaron (Eng)

Score: 194. (-16)

Aaron Rai will take a comfortable six-stroke lead into the final round of the Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi after stepping up his bid to claim a maiden European Tour title on day three.

Englishman Rai followed up Friday's course-record 61 with a 68 on Saturday to get to 16 under par and move six clear of countrymen Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick.

But it was not all plain sailing for Rai, who saw his four-shot halfway lead cut to one as he reached the turn after South Korean Hyowon Park made a fast start to his third round.

A string of bogeys saw Park's challenge falter, though, and Rai turned on the style on the back nine to open up a six-shot gap, despite carding a closing bogey.

Former Masters Champion Sergio Garcia was alongside Jason Scrivener in a tie for fourth on nine under after producing a sensational 64 which included a brilliant eagle at the par-four tenth.

Leaderboard

25. Nov.

FINAL ROUND

WINNER:  Rai Aaron (Eng)

Score: 263. (-17)

Aaron Rai claimed his maiden European Tour title after holding off fellow Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick to secure a one-shot victory at the Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi.

The 23 year old never actually surrendered the lead on Sunday but saw his six-shot overnight advantage cut to a single stroke by Fitzpatrick during a thrilling final-round battle in the pouring rain at Hong Kong Golf Club.

Five-time European Tour winner Fitzpatrick had fired seven birdies in his first 16 holes to pile the pressure on Rai but his challenge faltered when he carded his first bogey of the day at the 17th to give his compatriot a two-shot cushion with one hole remaining.

And despite carding a bogey at the last, Rai signed for a closing 69 to finish on 17 under par and open the 2019 Race to Dubai campaign with a stunning wire-to-wire victory in just his 46th European Tour appearance.

Fitzpatrick's sensational 64 saw him finish alone in second on 16 under, with Challenge Tour graduate Victor Perez and Australian Jason Scrivener five shots further back in a tie for third.

Three-time Challenge Tour winner Rai began his final round on 16 under par after producing rounds of 65, 61 and 68 in his previous three rounds.

And he soon set about improving on that total, tapping in for a birdie at the long third before repeating the trick from six feet at the next to jump to 18 under.

But bogeys at the sixth and eighth stalled Rai's progress and allowed Fitzpatrick to close the gap to two shots courtesy of four birdies in his first ten holes.

Rai rallied, rattling in his 15-foot birdie putt at the 12th before repeating the trick at the long 13th from around three feet to jump to 18 under.

Fitzpatrick was hot on his heels, though, picking up shots at the 13th and 14th before draining his 20-foot putt at the 16th to narrow the gap to one.

The first bogey of his final round saw Fitzpatrick lose ground at the 17th and Rai was able to wrap up a one-shot victory after three-putting at the 18th.

Final Results