Beginning the final day of the Cazoo Open, it was setup for a tense 18 holes, with Callum Shinkwin holding a one shot lead over Frenchman, Julien Guerrier, who was still looking for a first DP World Tour title.
What transpired was a tight opening few holes, with Shinkwin’s lead evaporating over the first two. However, just three holes later, the Englishman remarkably found himself five shots clear as back-to-birdies from Shinkwin were maximised by Guerrier making a trio of bogeys!
Despite bogeys at the seventh and eighth, Shinkwin made his fourth birdie of the day at the ninth, as his one-under-par front nine gave him a five shot lead with just nine to play.
Shinkwin was cruising to the title, especially when a birdie at the 11th extended that advantage to six shots. Nobody was getting close to him and, after bogeying the 13th, he very nearly eagled the 15th as he held a six shot lead with three to go.
A two shot swing did occur on the 16th though, as nearest rival, Connor Syme, birdied the treacherous par 4 whilst Shinkwin bogeyed. There was also another possibility of a two shot swing at the next, as Shinkwin’s second shot from a bunker finished 12-foot from the flag.
Thankfully, for the Englishman, he managed to hole the par putt, especially as Syme ended up holing his birdie putt to cut the deficit to three heading down the last. After finding the green in three, and with Syme making bogey, Shinkwin safely two-putted for par and a four shot win.
Syme finished four shots back of Shinkwin, with the Scot securing his second runner-up finish in his DP World Tour career
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Speaking after his round, an emotional Shinkwin revealed that his grandmother had passed away just three weeks prior to today’s victory. “I played well today and this golf course is a heavy strokeplay golf course and, as long as I did what I had to do, unless someone came through the pack, which I knew wasn’t going to happen because the course was playing too tough, then it would work out.
“Connor came out of nowhere today. He was six or seven back and then made a…
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