World Golf News - 17 May 2011

On the US PGA Tour, South Korea’s KJ Choi became the first Asian to win the Player’s Championship when he beat local favourite David Toms in a playoff at TPC Sawgrass. In a final round that appeared to be safely in the hands of Toms during the front nine, Choi took the lead at the eleventh hour when he birdied the seventeenth hole. Not to be outdone, Toms birdied the final hole to force a playoff. Fortune was smiling on Choi however, and after Toms bogeyed the first playoff hole, the South Korean responded with par to clinch the title. The Player’s Championship is widely regarded as an unofficial fifth major and Choi’s victory on Sunday is a historic one for Asian golf.

In Europe, the Iberdrola Open was won by Northern Irishman Darren Clarke. In the bright sunny weather of the Spanish spring, Clarke broke a three year winning drought when he scored a three shot victory over Britons David Lynn and Chris Wood. Clarke had trailed the overnight leader by four strokes going into the final round, but quickly made up for lost time and after a splendid back nine he lifted the trophy for the first time since 2008. Clarke seemed happy to be back in the winner’s circle but extended his good wishes to Wood, whose second place position is one that Clarke so often had occupied in recent tournaments.

On the LPGA, the young South African Ashleigh Simon claimed her second professional victory on Sunday when she won the ISPS Handa Portuguese Ladies Open. In an astounding final round Simon carded a five under par 67 to unseat her nearest rivals, Gwladys Nocera of France and Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands. Nocera had lead the final round early in the day, but a disastrous front nine saw her slip out of contention despite an impressive recovery later in the day.

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