SINGAPORE — Sergio Garcia produced a masterful display of bogey-free golf over 27 holes Sunday to open his season with a five-shot victory at the weather-disrupted Singapore Open, the Spaniard making his move early and dominating from the front.

The 38-year-old US Masters champion signed for a final-round three-under 68 in glorious sunshine to finish on 14-under 270, well clear of Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira and South Africa’s Shaun Norris, who tied for second on nine-under-par.

Garcia had returned to the course at dawn to complete his third round after weather delays had forced an early finish on Saturday and the Spaniard hit the ground running, wiping out a two-shot deficit with four birdies in his last nine holes.

After reeling in overnight leaders Chapchai Nirat and Danthai Boonma and starting the last round with a one-shot lead, Garcia put on an iron-play masterclass as he surged clear of the field on the hazardous front nine at the par-71 Serapong Course.

A birdie on the first hole of his final round doubled his lead and after a sumptuous approach and monster putt secured back-to-back birdies on seven and eight, Garcia was five shots clear as his nearest rivals wilted under a melting midday sun.

The world No. 10 then settled into safety mode, aiming for the centre of the greens rather than attacking the pins, as he parred his last 10 holes on the rapidly drying Sentosa Golf Club layout to ensure no one could capitalize on any errors.

The co-sanctioned Asian and Japan Tour victory is the 32nd of Garcia’s professional career and sets him up nicely for the defence of his Dubai Desert Classic title on the European Tour next week.

Thailand’s Danthai and compatriot Jazz Janewattananond tied for fourth place on eight-under to earn two of the four British Open slots on offer for players who had yet to qualify for the oldest major on the calendar.

They will be joined at Carnoustie in July by young American Sean Crocker (seven-under), whose Zimbabwean father Gary played in that country’s first ever cricket test match in 1992, and Australia’s Lucas Herbert (six-under).

Kelly records comeback win

Jerry Kelly bounced back from an inexplicable miss off the tee to stun Colin Montgomerie in the season opener on the PGA Tour Champions.

Kelly made an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole, Montgomerie missed a 6-footer for par and Kelly turned a one-shot deficit into a victory Saturday in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

Kelly was tied with Montgomerie when he drove it well right into lava rocks on the wide par-4 16th. He hit a provisional but ended up taking an unplayable lie after he found his ball amid the rocks and made bogey.

It was the third win on the over-50 tour for the 51-year-old Kelly.

Cook fires up for lead

Austin Cook expressed comfort playing with the lead after surging to a one-shot advantage in the third round at the CareerBuilder Challenge in southern California Saturday.

Cook picked up six strokes in a six-hole stretch from the fourth hole en route to an eight-under-par 64 at La Quinta, the easiest of the three courses used for the pro-am event in the Palm Springs area.

He posted a 19-under 197 total, one shot ahead of fellow Americans Martin Piller and Andrew Landry, and two in front of Scott Piercy and Spaniard Jon Rahm. — Agencies