Shanghai, China: Austrian Bernd Wiesberger captured the Volvo China Open for his first DP World Tour title in five years, beating former champion Adrian Otaegui by three strokes in a final-round dual at the national championship.

Paired together in the final group at Enhance Anting Golf Club, Wiesberger held steady to close with a bogey-free round of four-under 67, while Otaegui, the 2024 champion who led by three strokes at the turn, stumbled down the stretch to an even-par 71.

Wiesberger finished on 19-under 265 at the US$2.75 million championship, a DP World Tour-China Tour co-sponsored event. The victory was worth US$467,500. He is now second in the points race for the Asian Swing where the top three players after next week’s Turkish Airlines Open receive a spot in next month’s PGA Championship. Otaegui moves up to fourth.

Sweden’s Mikael Lindberg (67) finished third, five shots back. South African Shaun Norris, the half-way co-leader, was a shot further back after a one-under 70. German Freddie Schott carded a seven-under 64 for the low round of the day to finish fifth, seven shots off the pace.

Defending champion Wu Ashun (68) was the top Chinese in a group of four players in equal eighth, nine shots back.

An emotional Wiesberger said the last few years had been difficult for him on the golf course. Now he was in a ‘really good place personally’ with the support of family, friends and many others who were watching at home in Austria.

He said: “It was just as much for them this week as it is for myself. It was nice to prove to myself that I can still be in the winner’s circle after a few years away from it. I am looking forward to compete at big events for the rest of the year, and the next couple of years. That’s where I want to be.”

Following a lone birdie on the front nine at the fourth hole, Wiesberger got his game going at the 568-yard 10th. After a poor shot out of a greenside bunker leaving his ball on a downhill slope, he chipped in from off the green. At the 368-yard next he picked up another stroke when he sank a 20-foot downhill putt. At the 469-yard 13th he drew level with Otaegui at 19-under when he sank a 30-foot downhill birdie putt.

As Otaegui struggled to a bogey four at the 16th, Wiesberger sank his three-foot par putt with his long putter to take a lead he would never relinquish.

“I just felt that I wanted to stick around, especially after the birdie on 11 and the up-and-down on 12 (for par). I just wanted to make sure I was going to stay there and it could come down to the wire,” said Wiesberger. “It was a really gutsy hour of golf after the turn where I didn’t play great but got a great score out of it and that it showed that I wanted to be there and make sure I put myself in position to win.”

Otaegui, who went into the day leading by one stroke, looked good for his second Volvo China Open crown with birdies at holes three, four and eight in a bogey-free front nine. At the par-four 368-yard 11th he got to 20-under when he put his approach to within two feet of the flag and converted the putt.

After finding a greenside bunker on the par-three 12th for a bogey four, it started to unravel for the UAE-based pro at the next par-three, the 200-yard 16th. Blasting out of a greenside bunker, he could only watch as his ball rolled 40 feet past the pin. He dropped another shot to fall one behind Wiesberger.

Otaegui made a run at it on the par-five last but blasted into the bush on his tee shot. He finished with a double-bogey seven.  

“That was probably the worst (shot) of the day, hitting that tee shot on 16 on the left bunker because you give yourself no chance. From the right you have a chance to make an up and down. From the left it is almost impossible. And then I just fight it. I just tried on the last but it didn’t go my way,” said Otaegui, a five-time winner on the DP World Tour.

“I’m very proud of myself. I just tried to do the best I can. I played the best I can. I was feeling good, I was playing good and apart from that 16th hole all the rest was good.”

Wu, a two-time Volvo China Open winner, played steady during his title defence but never really challenged during the week. His final round featured five birdies and two bogeys.

“It was a good week. All the fans here, all the friends here. I’m really happy to come back to defend my title,” said the 40-year-old Xiamen native who praised the role the Volvo China Open has played in the development of Chinese golfers.

He said: “In 31 years, it has helped to improve a lot of Chinese golfers. They can play this tournament and see how good they are. They can see which part of the game they need to improve and play against such great golfers here. It helps a lot of Chinese players like me, like (Li) Haotong, to go into international Tour. Maybe next year another Chinese player will win the tournament.”