Larrazabal Makes It Eight Victories In Eight Different Countries Taking Korean Title.

1 year ago by Comments Off on Larrazabal Makes It Eight Victories In Eight Different Countries Taking Korean Title.

Spainard Pablo Larrazabal brilliantly emerged from a jam-packed final day leaderboard to make it eight DP World Tour victories in eight different countries with his triumph at the inaugural Korea Championship near Seoul.

Larrazbal, who turns 40 on May 15th, broke clear from of some six players who shared the lead with nine holes to play in posting a closing round five-under 67 to win by a two shots at 12-under on the Jack Nicklaus Club course at Incheon.

The Barcelona golfer began the final day needing to play two holes to complete his third round after some two hours were lost at the start of day three due to poor weather, but with poor light at the end of the day leaving Larrazabal and five others to complete their round.

Pablo Larrazabal prouldy holding aloft the Korean Championship trophy (Photo – DPWT/Getty)

They did that teeing-off at 8am local time Sunday but with Larrazabal, who was tied with the clubhouse leader Scot Robert MacIntyre, bogeying his 17th and posting a closing par in a score of 71 to finish at seven-under.

MacIntyre threw the doors wide open to rivals when he proceeded to bogey his opening two holes of the final round, and with a log-jam forming with six players, including Larrazabal, at one stage tied for the lead at nine-under.

Included in those half-a-dozen at nine-under was fellow Spaniard Jorge Campillo and Dutchman Joost Luiten setting the clubhouse mark with 65s.

Larrazabal, who had picked-up two early birdies, bogeyed the 10th but soon bounced back, and moving two clear of Campillo and Luiten, with birdies at 11, 12 and 14.

The current World No. 101 then got the good break of the touranment teeing-off the par-5 15th with Larrazabal’s tee shot headed way right, and looking as though it actually bounced on the OOB painted line but kicking left and coming to rest on a cart path.  Larrazabal was given a ‘free’ drop and proceeded to birdie the hole and walking off to find himself three shots clear of the field at 12-under with just three to play.


Larrazal pared all three holes for a comfortable two-shot triumph, and with Dane Marcus Helligkilde closing with a 68 to finish second at 10-under.

Larrazábal felt his performance in windy conditions on Saturday contributed greatly to his victory.

He said: “It’s amazing. In two weeks I’m turning 40. I’m not a long hitter. To play against all these 20 year old guys now that hit the ball 40 yards over me, and to beat them is unbelievable.

“To do it here in Korea, where we have not come for ten years and where I love to play. Now it’s one of my favourite places in the world.

“Ten years ago we played Jeju Island, I played with Anthony Kim the first two rounds, and I loved it. I loved that golf course, I loved the fans. They were different to Spaniards but we have the same passion. I will be back to Korea to defend this title and hopefully many more times.

“And that’s what makes me the happiest guy in the world.”

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson birdied his opening holes and then the seventh hole to move into a share of the lead, and while playing his next 10 holes in two-over, he regrouped to birdie the last to grab third place at nine-under with three others including Luiten (65), Campillo (65) and local favourite Sanghyun Park (70).

Big disappointment was MacIntyre, who was the official third round leader on eight-under however the Scot bogeyed his opening two holes and while picking-up birdies at three and seven he was from thereon never sighted, posting 11 closing pars in  round of 72 for distant share of seventh place.

It it the second occasion in his past three events MacIntyre has played a final round alongside a Spaniard and ended-up with a victory, including the Magical Kenya Open when denied success by Campillo.

Larrabal won his first Tour title in spectacular manner at the 2008 French Open, the tournament where Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie was asked after the Spaniard’s third round 67 what he thought of Larrazabal’s effort.  Monty, and in true Monty manner, responded: “Pablo who?”.  ‘Pablo Larrrazabal’ came the reply to which Monty responded: “Let’s just call him Pablo for the time being”.  Monty eventually finished runner-up by four shots to the Spaniard. It was his biggest winning margin, and now still is.

                            Pablo Larrazabal – With His Korea Championship Victory 

• It is Pablo’s eighth DP World Tour victory, in an eighth different country and in a 407th DPTW appearance
• Finished T6 in the 2013 Ballantine’s Championship – the last DP World Tour event to be held in Korea
• Moves from 70th to 13th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex
• Should also move to around 69th on the Official World Golf Ranking, up from 101st
• Best previous result this season was T10 at the Hero Indian Open
• Pablo’s first DP World Tour win came 14 years and 305 days ago at the 2008 Open de France
ALSTOM
• Becomes the third Spanish winner on the 2023 Race to Dubai Presented by Rolex, following Jorge Campillo at the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa and Jon Rahm at the Masters
Tournament
• He becomes the 202nd Spanish-born player to win in this 51st year on the DP World Tour

 



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