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SPORTSMonday 7 December 2015
Leishman wins by 6 strokes in Sun City Australian PGA
SUN CITY, South Africa (AP)
— Marc Leishman picked
up his maiden European
Tour title on Sunday with
a six-stroke victory at the
Nedbank Challenge.
The Australian, who started
the final round ahead of
Henrik Stenson by one shot,
carded a 5-under 67 to
finish on 19-under 269. He
won $1.25 million.
The 32-year-old Leishman’s
previous best finish on the
tour was at this year’s British man holed a tricky 10-foot and 18.
Open, when he lost a play-
off to Zach Johnson.
Three straight birdies ei-
ther side of the turn meant
that Stenson trailed by two
shots with eight holes to
play, but the Swede fin-
ished poorly to shoot a par
72 on the day.
“I knew it was going to
be a really tough day, I
knew I had to play well,”
Leishman said. “I’m really
pleased that I could play
as well as I did and have a
little bit of a buffer there at
the end.”
championship
Marc Leishman of Australian, plays a shot on the 2nd fairway away badly after starting won by Holman
during the final round of the Golf Challenge at the Gary Player the day on 10 under. in 3-way playoff
Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. The South African opened
with a bogey before re- GOLD COAST, Australia
(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) covering with an excel- (AP) — Australian Nathan
lent approach shot at the Holman parred the first hole
The turning point in the fi- While Leishman was fault- second that brought his of a three-way playoff with
second eagle of the week. American Harold Varner III
nal round came at the par less from that point on, fin- However, he double-bo- and South Africa’s Dylan
3 seventh hole, when Sten- ishing the tournament with geyed the sixth to drop out Frittelli to win the Australian
son found a bunker and just three bogeys in total, of contention. PGA championship on Sun-
Five further bogeys saw day. Holman, who shot a
dropped a shot while Leish- Stenson bogeyed Nos. 15 Van Zyl card a 6-over 78 to final-round 1-over 73, and
finish tied for 13th. Frittelli and Varner, who
Van Zyl’s profligacy each had 75s, finished with
opened the door for Eng- even-par totals of 288 on
putt for birdie. “Golf’s a lot easier when land’s Chris Wood (68) to a tough, wind-swept Royal
That opened up a three- you don’t have to make finish third on 9 under. Pines resort course. Holman
shot gap between the up lost ground, especially Danny Willett of England led by two strokes but bo-
and Frenchman Victor geyed his final two holes.
duo, and although Sten- on this golf course where Dubuisson also shot 68 to Varner’s birdie attempt on
share fourth place with 18 that would have given
son pulled one back at the there’s trouble every- South Africa’s Branden him the win in regulation
eighth he was still forced where,” Leishman said. Grace (71) and American slid just wide of the cup. The
into an aggressive game The third member of the fi- Robert Streb (73) on 8 un- Australian was the only one
der. on the fairway in the play-
on the back nine. nal group, Jaco van Zyl, fell Byeong Hun An of South off and hit to the middle of
Koreea (68) was eighth, the green, while Frittelli and
while South African Charl Varner were off the green
Schwartzel (70) and Thai- after hitting their second
land’s Thongchai Jaidee shots from the rough.q
(71) tied for ninth.q