Y.E. Yang wins Volvo China Open

South Korea’s Y.E. Yang claimed victory in the Volvo China Open at Suzhou Jinji Lake GC by two strokes over Welshmen Rhys Davies and Stephen Dodd.

Y.E. Yang
Fergus Bisset
By
published

South Korea's Y.E. Yang claimed victory in the Volvo China Open at Suzhou Jinji Lake GC by two strokes over Welshmen Rhys Davies and Stephen Dodd.

After finishing tied eighth in last week's Masters, Yang made a 30-hour flight to Suzhou in China. But he showed no signs of fatigue in completing four excellent rounds to end the week on a total of 15-under-par.

Yang went 50 holes from Friday morning without dropping a shot before giving one up on the 72nd hole after finding sand from the tee. But, by that stage, the tournament was won and Yang could relax as he made his way up the final fairway.

With the victory Yang has climbed into the top-10 on the Race to Dubai standings as has Rhys Davies after his joint second place finish.

Finland's Mikko Ilonen and another Welshman Jamie Donaldson were Yang's closest challengers going into the final day, starting the round one shot adrift of the Korean. But the pair failed to get it going over the closing 18 holes and both fell back into a tie for fourth with Johan Edfors of Sweden.

Oliver Fisher claimed his fourth straight top-10 finish as he ended the week alone in seventh. The young Englishman is well on the way to re-earning his playing privileges after losing his card last season.

Volvo China Open Suzhou Jinji Lake GC, China April 15-18, purse $2,500,000, par 72

1    Y.E. Yang (Kor)        68    66    68    71    273    €311,707 T2    Rhys Davies (Wal)    73    70    65    67    275    €162,441 T2    Stephen Dodd (Wal)    69    71    66    69    275    €162,441 T4    Mikko Ilonen (Fin)    68    67    68    73    276    €79,425 T4    Johan Edfors (Swe)    68    71    68    69    276    €79,425 T4    Jamie Donaldson (Wal)    66    68    69    73    276    €79,425 7    Oliver Fisher (Eng)    73    65    70    69    277    €56,108 T8    Graeme McDowell (NIR) 70    70    70    68    278    €34,857 T8    Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)    64    70    75    69    278    €34,857 T8    Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel)    69    72    68    69    278    €34,857 T8    Henrik Stenson (Swe)    68    73    68    69    278    €34,857 T8    Alexander Noren (Swe)    71    67    70    70    278    €34,857 T8    Ross McGowan (Eng)    71    68    69    70    278    €34,857 T8    Do-hoon Kim (Kor)    64    69    73    72    278    €34,857 T8    Pablo Larrazabal (Esp)    66    69    70    73    278    €34,857

Note: Player scores in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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