In a weather hit final day in Bangkok, it was Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra who picked up the $4 million first prize, as well as the $750,000 team prize, just four months after giving up his amateur status and signing a three-year contract with LIV Golf.
Following rounds of 65 and 63, the Spaniard led the field by five shots at 16-under-par, with a quartet of Richard Bland, Sihwan Kim, Harold Varner III and Patrick Reed chasing him down.
Beginning at the first hole in the shotgun start, Chacarra started perfectly, with a birdie at the opening hole keeping him well in front. Back-to-back bogeys did follow though at the fourth and fifth, but a birdie at the sixth gave him a level-par front nine as he scythed down a first professional win.
However, Reed was cutting the gap to the 22-year-old and, even though birdies for Chacarra at the 11th and 14th kept him ahead, there was drama to come, as thunder and lightning in the area suspended play for an hour and a half.
Upon return, players only had a handful of holes to play and, following a par at the 16th, the title was heading Chacarra’s way, as a birdie at the par 5 17th gave him a three shot advantage down the 54th hole.
Sergio Garcia, who is Team Captain of Fireballs GC, hits a bunker shot, as his team finished at 45-under-par
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Finding the green safely, the Spaniard rolled his birdie putt to near gimme range and, after tapping in, the title was his, as he secured his first professional victory in just his fifth start.
There was yet more joy for Chacarra, as his Fireballs team of Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz claimed the team prize by seven shots, with the foursome picking up $750,000 each for their efforts.
The 4 Aces had been looking to secure their fifth consecutive team title, but for the second time they didn’t even feature on the podium, as the Crushers team of Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri finished second, whilst the Cleeks team of Bland, Laurie Canter, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell finished third.
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