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sports Dialuna 10 OctOber 2022

Fritz beats Tiafoe in Lopez-Chacarra wins LIV Golf-Bangkok

Japan Open final by three strokes

BANGKOK, Thailand shots behind Lopez-Chacar- holes to pull the field back to
(AP) — Former top ama- ra. him. But those were his only
teur Eugenio Lopez-Cha- bogeys of the tournament.
carra shot a final-round Ex-Oklahoma State player
69 and won the LIV Golf Lopez-Chacarra, who turned “Obviously I think I played
TOKYO (AP) — Taylor the last four or five days have Invitational-Bangkok by professional to play on the great golf. I hit the ball great
Fritz defeated Frances been,” Fritz said after becom- three strokes over Patrick LIV series, led after the sec- all week. I had two bogeys in
Tiafoe 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in an ing the first American to win Reed on Sunday. ond round and was among 54 holes and my goal was to
all-American Japan Open the Japan Open since Pete three who led after the first. have zero,” he said. “But the
final on Sunday. Sampras last won it in 1996. Lopez-Chacarra had a three- course is in great condition
round, 19-under total of 197 The two-time first-team All- so you can go low, but also
It was a perfect five days for “It’s so crazy, and I couldn’t after the storm-delayed finish American was No. 2 in the I think I played really good.
Fritz in Tokyo, who arrived at have written it any better.” on the newly opened Stone- World Amateur Golf Rank- More birdies than bogeys.
the tournament just after the hill Golf Club course north ing before he signed a three- That will make it.”
end of his seven days of quar- Tiafoe had come into the fi- of Bangkok. year contract with the Saudi-
antine in Seoul following a nal on the back of winning 13 backed LIV tour. The tour heads to Saudi Ara-
positive COVID-19 test. straight singles tiebreakers, Reed shot a closing 67 while bia for next week’s LIV Golf
but Fritz dominated the final Paul Casey (65), Richard Lopez-Chacarra opened with Invitational-Jeddah.
“(It is) crazy, I don’t even with his aggressive hitting. Bland (68) and Sihwan Kim a birdie but had back-to-back
think it’s set in just how fast (68) were tied for third, four bogeys on his fourth and fifth

Rahm joins hero Ballesteros as 3-time Spanish Open winner

de Campo Villa de Madrid all week long, couldn’t keep It was Rahm’s second win of
on Sunday. up on Sunday and finished the year after his triumph at
third, another stroke back. the Mexico Open in May. It
He finished at 25 under for was his eighth European tour
the week, bettering his own It was never a contest, as victory overall.
tournament record from Rahm played his best golf of
2019 by three shots. Mat- the week. Ballesteros won the last of
thieu Pavon of France was his 50 titles on the European
second after a 6-under 65. He made eight birdies, an tour at this tournament in
eagle and one bogey. His lead 1995. Rahm’s other Spanish
A loud “Viva Seve” shout was was up to five after the 14th Open titles came in 2018 and
heard from the crowd that hole when he nearly made 2019. He struggled last year
packed the 18th green just as an albatross two on the par- — finishing in a tie for 17th
Rahm’s six-foot birdie putt 5 hole — his ball hitting the — after arriving as the top-
was on its way. flag a tad too hard and going ranked player following his
past the hole. U.S. Open victory.
“I understand it might not
be the strongest field I play
all year, but sometimes these
MADRID (AP) — It took ment last year when he failed can be the hardest to win,”
a year longer than he’d in his first attempt to match the sixth-ranked Rahm said.
hoped for but Jon Rahm the three titles won by the “I’m supposed to win, every-
is finally a three-time win- Spanish golfing great. body is betting on me to win,
ner of the Spanish Open, and to come out and play a
matching the achieve- It was a lot different this time Sunday like I just did is hard
ment of his hero Seve as Rahm raised his putter and to describe.”
Ballesteros. gave a hard fist pump after
making his second straight
There was frustration and birdie to close out a remark- Australian Min Woo Lee
(68), who was in the final
disappointment after Rahm able final round 9-under 62 group and challenged Rahm
finished his home tourna- for a six-shot win at the Club