King Abdullah Economic City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Abraham Ancer became the first player to win the US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers from start to finish after closing with a two-under-par 68.

With a 19-under aggregate of 261, the 31-year-old Mexican beat American Cameron Young by two shots.

Ancer conducted a masterclass in front running at the Asian Tour’s season-opening event, to add the title to the other significant victory of his career, the 2021 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.

Young also returned a 68 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, while Australian Lucas Herbert carded a 65 to finish third, two shots further back. Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana underlined his position as one of the Asian Tour’s most exciting young players when he fired a 66 to secure fourth, another stroke behind.

“That was my first ever wire-to-wire win,” said Ancer, whose steadiness at the helm was made possible by a solid, repeatable golf swing and sound putting stroke. Despite persistent windy conditions during the week, he dropped only two shots over the four rounds: on the ninth in the final round and the 17th on day two.

“I didn’t think about where I was on the leaderboard. I just felt like I want to do that again. I played really good the first round, and I just felt like I wanted to keep that going. 

“I kept telling myself: ‘Imagine if I was in 20th place and just got to go out there and shoot a low one’. It worked out. I stayed in the moment. I didn’t think too much about the previous shots or what was coming after. I’m really happy with my frame of mind during these four rounds.” 

Ancer is only the second Mexican winner on the Asian Tour, after Carlos Espinosa, who won the Canlubang Classic in the Philippines in 1995.