Shenzhen, China: Korean Lee Soo-min went wire-to-wire at the Shenzhen International to claim his first European Tour title at Genzon Golf Club.
Lee, Alexander Levy, Lee Slattery, Joost Luiten, Brandon Stone and Scott Hend all had a chance to take the crown, with just one shot separating the six players as the weather-delayed event came down to a day five shootout.
The 22-year-old began the day in a share of top spot with five holes to play and a birdie on the 16th followed by an eagle on the next helped him sign for a closing 71 and get to 16-under.
That gave him a two-shot victory over Luiten and Stone and banished the memory of the Maybank Championship Malaysia, where he came into the final round with a three-shot lead but made two double-bogeys in his last three holes to finish in a share of second.
Lee finished in the top three on his European Tour debut at the UBS Hong Kong Open before that drama at Selangor Golf Club and now enters the winner’s circle in just his sixth start.
“I got a big chance in Malaysia but I didn’t make it because I was really, really nervous. Now I made it,” he said. “Yesterday I was really nervous. We had a lot of break times and then played again so that’s really good for me and I just thought about my golf and then competed until I could do it.
“My first time as a European Tour winner in just six events. It’s incredible. I want to play Europe so it’s good for me.”
Over nine hours of play had been lost on the first four days due to electrical activity and heavy rain, resulting in the first Monday finish at a regular European Tour event since the 2011 Singapore Open. Another hour was lost on the fifth morning due to fog.