MIYAZAKI, Japan — Kodai Ichihara made an up-and-down birdie from 100 yards at the final hole to win the Dunlop Phoenix by one stroke as an out-of-sorts Brooks Koepka finished 12th in Miyazaki on Sunday.
World No. 425 Ichihara rattled home with an eight-under-par 63, finishing in style by almost holing his third shot at the par-five 18th.
He sank the short birdie putt and secured a surprise victory when fellow Japanese Mikumu Horikawa bogeyed the par-five 18th minutes later.
Horikawa made a complete mess of the last, finding a fairway bunker with his tee shot, and a greenside bunker with his third. He missed a 12-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.
Ichihara was on the range preparing for a playoff at Miyazaki Country Club when word filtered through that he had won for the second time this year on the Japan Tour.
He started the day five strokes behind Horikawa, but vaulted into contention with three early birdies, followed by an eagle at the par-four ninth.
Ichihara finished at 15-under 269, while overnight leader Horikawa carded 69 for 14-under. Australian Brendan Jones (68) was two shots behind in third place. He missed a short birdie putt at the last.
World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, a double major winner in 2018, never looked like making it a hat-trick of victories at the event after starting the final round five shots from the lead.
Mexican Ancer wins
Australian Open
Unheralded Mexican Abraham Ancer ignited his round with a remarkable chip-in before winning the Australian Open by five strokes on Sunday to join a host of golfing greats in lifting the Stonehaven Cup.
The world No. 96, whose only previous win as a professional came on the Web.com tour in 2015, started the day with a five-shot cushion and a final-round three-under-par 69 proved more than enough for victory on 16-under 272.
Australians Dimitrios Papadatos and Jake McLeod made things interesting for the galleries at The Lakes golf Club with a glut of birdies but Ancer's overnight lead always looked like being too large a deficit to overcome.
Papadatos (67) finished second on 11-under with McLeod (66) in third a shot further back with both earning the right to play with Ancer at next year's British Open in Northern Ireland.
Local Marcus Fraser finished with a 70 for fourth on nine-under with a group of five players sharing fifth, including Japanese amateur Keita Nakajima who started the day in second place and rounded out an impressive week with a 72.
American drawcards Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar both shot final round 75s to finish well off the pace in a share of 17th and 23rd respectively.
Born in Texas but raised over the border in Mexico, Ancer joins a glittering honor roll at the Australian Open with Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman among the former winners.
Howell clings to lead as
Gore and Champ charge
Charles Howell III wobbled with two back nine bogeys but clung to a one-stroke lead over Jason Gore and Cameron Champ on a tightening third round leaderboard at the RSM Classic in Georgia on Saturday.
Despite the shaky moments, Howell carded a two-under 68 to be on a 16-under total of 196 at a tournament he has led from the start. The 39-year-old American will have his work cut out on Sunday as he goes for his first Tour win since 2007.
Lurking one stroke behind are Gore, who has not won on tour since 2005, and the rookie Champ, who is seeking his second win in a month. Both shot 66 on the Seaside Course at Sea Island, with Gore's 17-foot eagle putt at the 15th slicing what had been a five-stroke lead to Howell back to one.
Webb Simpson, who eagled the 10th and had five birdies in a sparkling 63, was three behind Howell in a tie for fourth with Ryan Blaum (65).
Zach Johnson also produced an eagle at the 15th to shoot 65 and was tied for seventh at 11-under in a group with Patrick Rodgers (61). — Reuters
