Aug 30: Shahriffuddin Ariffin, one of the brightest prospects in Malaysian golf, edged ahead of the experienced Thai Suteepat Prateeptienchai with a birdie on the last hole and snared a one-shot lead after the third round of the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open on Saturday.

At Pondok Indah Golf Club course in Jakarta, the 26-year-old from Melaka shot a four-under-par 68, a round that was matched by Suteepat, to retain his lead with a three-day total of 17-under. His Thai rival needed to make a 15-footer for birdie on the last, but his attempt stayed short of the cup.

Australia’s Travis Smyth was his consistent self in a round of 68 to move to solo third place at 14-under, one better than a group of three players tied for fourth place at -13. That included Taiwan’s Wei-hsuan Wang, (66) and two Americans – Micah Shin (66) and Charles Porter (70).

Local hopes were pinned on young Naraajie Ramadhanputra, who was tied seventh at 12-under following a round of 68.

Shahriffuddin Ariffin. Picture by Graham Uden, Asian Tour.

While Ariffin is looking for his first win on the Asian Tour, Suteepat is already a three-time champion and the highest-ranked player in the field. The last Malaysian player to hoist the trophy on the Asian Tour was Gavin Green, at the 2017 Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

Ariffin’s latest mantra of just enjoying the golf course and not being bothered about whom to chase, or who is behind him, seems to be working for him so far. And he intends to do the same on Sunday.

“I’m just enjoying playing golf with the other players, and I am trying not to think too much. It was a bit of a struggle with my putting today. I had four lip-outs, but I said ‘OK. No problem… just keep playing my golf’,” said the two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).

“So, I am hoping this will be my best Asian Tour event. I hope I can win this tournament. It’s a very, very good opportunity for me to get back to the Asian Tour, but there is no pressure as such.”

Bogey-free for the past two days, Suteepat finally dropped his first shot of the tournament on the 13th hole, before quickly bouncing back with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai. Picture by Graham Uden, Asian Tour.

“It was a slow start for me. My first birdie came on the eighth. It’s been tough today. I did not feel as good as I did on the first two days. I was struggling with my approach shots throughout the round,” said Suteepat, who won the tournament (2023 Taiwan Glass Taifong Open), where Ariffin recorded his best Asian Tour result – a tied second.

“I am just going to play for fun tomorrow, because I am playing with my friend Dino (Ariffin). I will follow the same game plan and we’ll see what happens.”

Smyth did not have the best start to his round, making a bogey after hitting a wedge second shot into the water on the opening hole.

“I played well, but I also hit a ton of really bad shots as well. I wedged it in the water on the first hole, but I didn’t really let it get to me. I was kind of proud of the way that I just sort of stuck in there, and then to finish with birdies on 16 and 18 to wrap up four-under, I will take it,” said the Sydneysider.

“I had a couple of iron shots that were fun to hit, into the 15th and 16th. I just played them a little bit differently, like a punchy Tommy Fleetwood-type shot. I was between clubs, and I decided to go to an extra club and take some distance off. And they felt amazing. So I’m going to kind of draw on that now. I’m going to hone that into my warm-up tomorrow, and if it comes out good, I will probably play most of my iron shots like that. Because they were just two of the best iron shots I’ve hit all week.”

Aug 29: A round of 62 last week in the Asian Development Tour was just the tonic Shahriffuddin Ariffin needed as the Malaysian built on the confidence and raced to a solo lead at the halfway stage of the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open with a second round that contained two eagles on Friday.

At the Pondok Indah Golf Club course in Jakarta, the Malaysian holed his second shot from 107 yards on the par-four 15th hole for an eagle two, and then made another in a more conventional fashion on the par-five 18th. Four other birdies in the bogey-free round gave him a second-round eight-under par 64 – best score of the day.

Play was suspended because of a lightning threat. Eight groups (24 players) were still to finish and will resume their round on Saturday morning. The projected cut is at three-under par.

Ariffin moved to 13-under par total and held a slender one-shot lead over Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who returned a second successive card of 66. America’s 6 feet, 9 inches tall Charles Porter also shot a 66 to move up to solo third place at 11-under. Australian Travis Smyth (65) was alone in fourth position at 10-under.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Thai stars Itthipat Buranatanyarat (67) and Tanapat Pichaikool (69) were tied fifth at nine-under, where they were joined later in the day by American MJ Maguire (68).

Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra provided the cheers for the home crowd with a 65, the best round of the morning session, to jump to tied eighth place at eight-under.

Last Sunday, Ariffin made 11 birdies as he surged to a tied third place in the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament at the nearby Damai Indah Golf course. The two-time ADT champion, who is searching for his maiden win on the Asian Tour, is feeding off that performance and benefiting from some recent changes he has made in his game.

“I’m happy with today’s play. My confidence level is high after I shot that 62 at Damai Indah. And I just kept telling myself that I should just enjoy my game and there was no need to chase the leader. Just play my own game, keep up the momentum and enjoy the golf course,” said Ariffin, whose other eagle on the 18th hole came following a 5-iron second shot to 15 feet.

“My coach, Zafran (Abdullah), just changed my technique a little bit with some swing drill. He also did a few things with my putting stroke. I was struggling with my putter as I had the yips. A few small things and then I just went and shot a 62.”

Charles Porter of USA. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Suteepat, who is now bogey-free for 36 holes, looked like running away from the field with five consecutive birdies from the second hole onwards. But once that run ended, his sixth and final birdie only came on the 18th hole.

Explaining the two nines, the three-time Asian Tour champion said: “The front nine, my tee shots were really good, which is something you need on this narrow course. I think the tee shot is the key, and I executed my plans well. But, on the back nine, I had a little trouble and was lucky not to make a bogey.”

Porter, the 26-year-old from San Francisco, who worked as a security guard on golf courses and retail stores before qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour last season, had a chance to finish with four birdies in a row, but after draining three long putts, including one on the tough par-three eighth hole, he fluffed his chip from thick greenside rough on the ninth.

“It was a good round. We had a really good group, with Settee (Prakongvech). I just stayed super patient. Made a couple of bogeys, but just kind of shrugged it off and continued,” said Porter, who had three top-20s in the Korn Ferry Tour last year, but was unable to keep his card.

“I’d say my second-last hole, the par-three eighth, was the best birdie. That hole is a beast. I hit it to like 20 feet with a five iron and then canned a double breaker for birdie.”

Naraajie Ramadhanputra of Indonesia. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Naraajie, 25, started with a bogey on the 10th hole, and turbo-charged his round with five birdies in a row from the 17th to third holes.

“It was a slow start in the beginning, made a bogey on my first hole. Then, just tried to wait for the birdies and made five in a row from the 17th. Just kept going after that and hit a lot of good shots,” said Naraajie, winner of three titles on the ADT, whose best finish on the Asian Tour is a fourth place at this tournament in 2019 as a 19-year-old.

“My ball striking is pretty good this week. I hit a lot of close shots inside 10-12 feet, and my putting is also good.

“It means a lot to be playing in the Mandiri Indonesia Open, especially since this is my National Open. Hopefully, just do the same thing for the next two days, keep doing my process, keep doing my pre-shot routine, and then we will see what happens on the last day.”

Aug 29: American Charles Porter, measuring 6 feet 9 inches from head to toe, seems cut out for tall deeds, and he did not disappoint early on Friday of US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open, jumping to the top of the leaderboard at 11-under par after a second-round six-under par 66.

The 26-year-old from San Francisco, California, who worked as a security guard on golf courses and retail stores before qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour last season, will now have the arduous task of protecting his lead as he tries to make the most of his limited starts on the Asian Tour by virtue of finishing 33rd in the Qualifying School last year.

Thai stars Itthipat Buranatanyarat (67) and Tanapat Pichaikool (69) were in tied second place at 9-under.

Indonesia’s Naraajie Ramadhanputra provided the cheers for the home crowd as he fired a seven-under 65, the best round of Friday’s morning session, to jump to tied fourth place at eight-under, where he was joined by India’s Khalin Joshi (66), New Zealand’s Ryan Peake (69) and Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan (68).

Naraajie Ramadhanputra of Indonesia. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Porter had a chance to finish with four birdies in a row, but after draining three long putts, including one on the tough par-three eighth hole, he fluffed his chip from thick greenside rough on the ninth.

However, coupled with his 67 on the opening day, that was enough for a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the second round.

Porter, coming into the tournament on the back of some fine form after a top-five finish in last week’s Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament, and Asian Development Tour event down the road at Damai Indah, made eight birdies, and two bogeys in his first nine holes.

“It was a good one. We had a really good group, with Settee (Prakongvech). I just stayed super patient. Made a couple of bogeys, but just kind of shrugged it off and continued,” said Porter, who had three top-20s in the Korn Ferry Tour last year, but was unable to keep his card.

“I’d say my second-last hole, number eighth, the par three, was the best birdie. That hole is a beast. I hit it to like 20 feet with a five iron and then canned a double breaker for birdie.

Itthipat Buranatanyarat of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Pichaikool, who started the day in tied second place, retained the position at the end of his round with a 69, even though he squandered a great start of four straight birdies from the third to sixth holes with three bogeys in four holes around the turn.

Itthipat, who made seven birdies in his round, said: “It was a good round for me, but I missed a lot of short putts. But that’s okay… I like going to the top of the leaderboard, and I have done that. So, after this, I just want to play like I enjoy playing every day and execute the plan that I made after my practice rounds here.

Naraajie, 25, started with a bogey on the 10th hole, and turbo-charged his round with five birdies in a row from the 17th to third holes.

“It was a slow start in the beginning, made a bogey on my first hole. Then, just tried to wait for the birdies and made five in a row from the 17th. Just kept going after that and hit a lot of good shots,” said Naraajie, winner of three titles on the ADT, whose best finish on the Asian Tour is a fourth place at this tournament in 2019 as a 19-year-old.

“My ball striking is pretty good this week. I hit a lot of close shots inside 10-12 feet, and my putting is also good.

“It means a lot to be playing in the Mandiri Indonesia Open, especially since this is my National Open. Hopefully, just do the same thing for the next two days, keep doing my process, keep doing my pre-shot routine, and then we will see what happens on the last day.”

Defending champion Steve Lewton, who was left frustrated by a late triple bogey on the par-four 16th hole on Thursday, shot a three-under 69 and had moved inside the cut-line.

Aug 28: Vanchai Luangnitikul led a group of Thai stars on top of the leaderboard on the opening day of the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open, making the most of calm morning conditions at Jakarta’s Pondok Indah Golf Course on Thursday.

The 23-year-old from Phuket, who has been playing mainly on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) the past two seasons, showed he was not afraid to challenge the big boys with a seven-under-par 65. The round included just one bogey, on the par-three eighth (his 17th), but he bounced back in style with a closing birdie on the par-five ninth.

Trailing Vanchai in tied second place were compatriots Suteepat Prateeptienchai and Tanapat Pichaikool, who were both bogey-free in their rounds of 66.

Eight players were tied for fourth place on 67, a group that included India’s Viraj Madappa, who is making a comeback after a long injury layoff.

Tanapat Pichaikool of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tied alongside Madappa were a quartet of Americans, Micah Shin, MJ Maguire, Austen Truslow and Charles Porter. Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho and Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin also shot rounds of 67.

Vanchai, who finished tied second in the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament on the ADT last year, nearly 26 kilometers down the road at Damai Indah Golf, showed his love for Indonesian courses once again with a solid round.

“My tee shots were really good all day. I kept finding the fairways and giving myself birdie chances. I made a lot of good putts early in the round and kept the momentum going,” said Vanchai, who is playing only his second Asian Tour event since his two starts in Thailand in 2022.

“I have been playing on the ADT and it has been a great training ground for me. I think I have improved a lot and am bringing all that experience into this week.”

The bogey on the eighth was because of a “bad tee shot”, but Vanchai was particularly pleased with a three-wood second shot from 305 yards on the ninth, which led to the bounce-back birdie.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tanapat’s round was the lowest among the second half of the draw as the wind picked up around the golf course. That made his bogey-free effort even more commendable.

After making six birdies – three on either half of the golf course – the 25-year-old Tanapat said: “The wind picked up when I was around the eighth hole, and then dropped and picked up again.

“The last couple of holes were interesting because I did not hit good tee shots but still managed to save my par and made a birdie on the last.

“Just did the standard stuff that we golfers do in the wind – tried to keep it low. But really happy to have finished the round without a bogey.”

The highlight of Suteepat’s round was the eagle on the first, but also important was that he finished the round without a bogey.

“I felt great today. Everything in my game seemed perfect,” said the highest-ranked OWGR player in the field. “Obviously, played early in the morning when the wind was low.

“The golf course is in fantastic condition. It’s so much better than when we played here a couple of years ago. Hopefully, I can do the same tomorrow.”

Viraj Madappa of India. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour

Madappa, the 27-year-old from Kolkata, is playing on a medical exemption after missing out on nearly two years of action because of a lower disc injury in the back. He impressed everyone when he won a domestic tournament in India in his first start after the injury earlier this year.

Winner of the 2018 Take Solutions Masters on the Asian Tour at the age of 20, Madappa said the long time spent recuperating changed his perspective about golf.

“I did not play at all for almost 15-16 months. I got back to swinging the club properly only in March this year. And it has led to a big change in perspective and how I view my game.

“Just before I injured myself, I was really hard on myself, putting a lot of unnecessary pressure in terms of what I was expecting from myself. I had stopped enjoying the game. However, it was difficult and frustrating to stay out of the game for so long and it made me realise how much I missed golf and how much I actually loved it.

“So, I am coming back with that thought and the feeling of just playing with gratitude and joy. I am hitting shots like it’s fun to hit. I think that has helped a lot.”

Defending champion Steve Lewton was left frustrated by a late triple bogey on the par-four 16th hole, which saw him slip to tied 75th place at even-par.

Aug 28: Thailand’s Vanchai Luangnitikul and India’s Viraj Madappa were determined to make up for their long absence from the Asian Tour as they moved up the leaderboard of the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open with solid opening rounds on Thursday morning.

The 23-year-old Vanchai, a resident of Phuket, has been playing mainly on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) these past two seasons, but showed he was not afraid to challenge the big boys with a seven-under-par 65 at Jakarta’s Pondok Indah Golf Course. The round included just one bogey, on the par-three eighth (his 17th), but he bounced back in style with a closing birdie on the par-five ninth.

Madappa, hailing from the eastern Indian town of Kolkata, is playing on a medical exemption after missing out on nearly two years of action because of a lower disc injury in the back. He started from the first with 10 straight pars, before unleashing six birdies and a bogey in his last eight holes to finish on 67 and in tied third place.

Another Thai player, Suteepat Prateeptienchai, started with a 66 effort to place himself in solo second place in the clubhouse. The three-time Asian Tour champion’s round included an eagle two on the par-four first hole (his 10th), when he holed his wedge shot from 78 yards.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai. Picture by Graham Uden, Asian Tour.

Tied alongside Madappa at 67 were a pair of Americans, Micah Shin and MJ Maguire, and Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin.

Vanchai, who finished tied second in the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament on the ADT last year, nearly 26 kilometers down the road at Damai Indah Golf, showed his love for Indonesian courses once again with a solid round.

“My tee shots were really good all day. I kept finding the fairways and giving myself birdie chances. I made a lot of good putts early in the round and kept the momentum going,” said Vanchai, who is playing only his second Asian Tour event since his two starts in Thailand in 2022.

“I have been playing on the ADT and it has been a great training ground for me. I think I have improved a lot and am bringing all that experience into this week.”

The bogey on the eighth was because of a “bad tee shot”, but Vanchai was particularly pleased with a three-wood second shot from 305 yards on the ninth, which led to the bounce-back birdie.

Viraj Madappa of India. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

The highlight of Suteepat’s round was the eagle on the first, but also important was that he finished the round without a bogey.

“I felt great today. Everything in my game seemed perfect,” said the highest-ranked OWGR player in the field. “Obviously, played early in the morning when the wind was low.

“The golf course is in fantastic condition. It’s so much better than when we played here a couple of years ago. Hopefully, I can do the same tomorrow.”

Madappa gave himself plenty of birdie chances in his first 10 holes, but it needed a birdie putt on the 12th hole from as close as two feet to kickstart his scoring.

The 27-year-old has hardly played any events since his missed cut at the SJM Macao Open in October 2023, and impressed everyone when he won a domestic tournament in India on his comeback earlier this year.

Winner of the 2018 Take Solutions Masters on the Asian Tour at the age of 20, Madappa said the long time spent recuperating changed his perspective about golf, and that he is reaping the rewards.

“I kept giving myself chances on the front nine, but did not convert anything. Just to see something going in on the 11th hole, even if it was from two feet, got me going after that.

“I have had some lower back disc issues and did not play at all for almost 15-16 months. I got back to swinging the club properly only in March this year. And it has led to a big change in perspective and how I view things through the game.

“Just before I injured myself, I was really hard on myself, putting a lot of unnecessary pressure in terms of what I was expecting from myself. I had stopped enjoying the game. It was difficult and frustrating to stay out of the game for so long and it made me realise how much I missed golf and how much I actually loved the sport.

“So, I am coming back with that thought and the feeling of just playing with gratitude and joy. I am hitting shots like it’s fun to hit. I think that has helped a lot.”

Two-time Asian Tour winner Steve Lewton is in need of some inspiration to help claim his third title and should get a big dose of that at this week’s Mandiri Indonesia Open.

That’s because he is the defending champion – having recorded an emotional victory in the event 12 months ago.

It’s a different venue this time round, as the event is being played at Pondok Indah Golf Course, but that is a plus as he was runner-up in Indonesia’s national open in 2022 and 2023 when it was played at the famous Jakarta venue.

“Oh, it was massive to win last year,” said Lewton.

“I felt the previous two years I had played really solid most of the year but just could not quite got over the line. So to finish off an event and win was nice.

“A lot of hard work went into that win and even before that obviously. It was nice to see it come to fruition. People don’t see the work you put in behind closed doors.”

Steve Lewton pictured at Wednesday’s press conference. Picture by Graham Uden, Asian Tour.

Last year, at Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course, it looked like he would just miss out on victory for the third year in-a-row when he finished with a double bogey on the 72nd hole in regulation play to fall back into a tie with China’s Sampson Zheng and Australian Aaron Wilkin. However, a birdie on the second play-off hole ensured him a second Asian Tour title – one that came after an anxious 10-year wait from his maiden win at the 2014 Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

It was just reward for a player who finished two behind Gaganjeet Bhullar from India in 2022, and two back of Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong the following year.

Surprisingly, Lewton has not pushed on as expected since last year’s victory.

He explains: “My form was a bit indifferent after I won. I had some good results but not as consistent as I wanted, so maybe I just need to try and get more consistency into the game.”

He finished 2024 ranked 16^th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit while at the moment he is in 83^rd place. His best performance this year came at the season-opening Smart Infinity Philippine Open, where he tied for 24^th.

He has work to do to get back to his best but that began last week when he tied for fifth at the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament – an Asian Development Tour event, also played in Jakarta. An opening 61 was particularly encouraging.

Steve Lewton has finished second at this week’s venue on two occasions at the Mandiri Indonesia Open. Picture by Graham Uden, Asian Tour.

“Really happy with my game after a long break,” he said.

“It was good to get some competition reps under my belt as I have not played much over the past couple of months. Playing at home is different to playing in a competition. So, it was good to see the work I have done is working.

“My game is decent but you never know. You try and get a game plan, stick with it and play well.”

He had a sniff of a 59 at the Ciputra event. He needed an eagle on the 18^th for that but having already made two eagles and seven birdies he could only manage a par to take the first-round lead.

Similar scoring will be needed if he is to contend this week at Pondok Indah Golf Course. Bhullar was 20-under when he won and Nitithorn 18 under.

Lewton said: “There are a lot of birdie opportunities but the key is not to get frustrated. So, stay patient all week and try and hit as many greens as possible.”

Steve Lewton, one of the most liked players on the Asian Tour, was third-time lucky as he carved out a popular victory at the Mandiri Indonesia Open 12 months ago. Story from the 2024 Asian Tour Yearbook.

The 41-year-old from England was tied second in the tournament the last previous years – finishing two shots behind India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar in 2022 and again two adrift of Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong the following year. It seemed he would miss out once again when he finished with a double bogey on the 72nd hole in regulation play in 2024, but a birdie on the second play-off hole ensured him a second Asian Tour title – one that came after a 10-year wait from his maiden win at the 2014 Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

At Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course, Lewton started the final round one shot behind third-round leader Australian Aaron Wilkin, who had set a stunning course record 10-under 61 in the first round.

Lewton started Sunday with four straight pars before a terrific stretch of five birdies in the next six holes steered him clear of the field at 18-under par. Wilkin had begun with a bogey and was one-under par for the day after 10 holes, trailing Lewton by three shots, while promising Chinese rookie Sampson Zheng had moved to 16-under par with four birdies and a bogey.

And then it all started unravelling for Lewton. Bogeys on the 13th and 14th holes pulled him back to 16-under par. He then knuckled down to make successive birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to go ahead by two shots once again, before the disaster on the 18th. He pulled his tee shot on the par-four final hole for the double bogey. He closed with a 68 to tie at the top with Zheng (68) and Wilkin (69).

Steve Lewton celebrates his victory last year. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

The first play-off, on the 18th hole, was halved with all three making bogies, but Lewton was the one closest with his par putt, which he missed from four feet. His heart was in his mouth moments later as his tee shot veered left towards the hazard on the second play-off hole, again on 18, but stopped on the cart path. From there, he hit a brilliant shot to eight feet and made the birdie putt.

A relieved Lewton said: “It’s just been a long, long time, and I feel like in the last three years, I’ve been playing quite good. So, it’s just nice to get over the line and win a tournament again, because it’s been a long time since I had that feeling.

“I thought when I got through 10 holes, I felt like I was coasting. And then I made it difficult again through 14, and then I birdied 16 and 17, and then I had a mini disaster on 18. I was just very happy to get it done the second time of asking in the play-off.

“I am very happy not to finish second again.”

Wilkin, who graduated from the 2023 Asian Development Tour, was disappointed not to have completed the job.

“I just didn’t play well enough to be fair, but I thought I handled myself pretty well,” said Wilkin. “I controlled my emotions until probably the play-off, but I reckon those were just poor swings.

“I still felt pretty good. It’s all good. I mean, I would have loved to win. It would have wrapped up my card for a couple of years, but I feel like the game is going in the right direction.”

Sampson Zheng just fell short of his first win last year in Indonesia. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Without doubt, Wilkin owned the opening day after his 61, when he broke Frank Nobilo’s 30-year course record.

“It was one of those days. I hit it close on four or five holes. I had a couple of easy tap-ins, then holed a few nice putts and didn’t make any mistakes. I will take that for sure. There was some lucky stuff, which I am going to take and run with it,” Wilkin said after Thursday’s round.

Zheng, who finished runner-up at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, showed his class once again with rounds of 65 and 63 on the first two days. A double bogey on the par-four eighth hole on Saturday was his only big mistake as he posted his best finish on the Asian Tour, bettering the tied fourth at International Series England.

“I kept myself in it the entire day. There were a couple of putts that just didn’t quite fall my way on the back nine. I gave myself opportunities all day, and that’s what I wanted to do, and I did that. So overall, happy with the performance,” the University of California, Berkeley graduate said.

Australia’s Travis Smyth (67) and China’s Liu Yanwei (68) were one shot adrift of the play-off, finishing tied fourth at 15-under-par total.