Van Pelt profits from late charge as Tseng dominates again

GOLF DIGEST:ASIA PACIFIC CLASSIC: American Bo Van Pelt birdied five of the last eight holes to win the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic by six shots in Malaysia yesterday.

The 36-year-old had a closing 64 at The Mines in Kuala Lumpur to claim the $1.3million first prize with a 23-under-par aggregate of 261, five better than Ben Crane’s winning score when the PGA Tour-sanctioned event was first staged last year.

Compatriot Jeff Overton was second, his fifth runner-up finish on a circuit where he has yet to win, and Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson came third.

Overton appeared to have a chance to move only one behind on the 12th, but three-putted for bogey while Van Pelt got up and down for par.

The gap then went to five when he hit approaches to within two feet of the next two flags and further birdies at the 15th and 17th were the icing on the cake for the American.

Van Pelt’s only full PGA Tour victory came in a play-off two years ago and he has let slip a number of chances to win since then.

Van Pelt, said: “I’ve watched other guys coming down 18 with a big lead and thought, ‘that would be fun some day if I could do that’.

“It was. I’ve had a couple of chances to win this year and Canada was a tough pill to swallow (he dropped four shots in five holes after leading with nine to play).

“I just wanted to learn from that and do a better job when I had the lead. I take a lot of satisfaction in how I played today.”

Overton said: “That was one of the best rounds of golf I’ve seen. He birdied some holes that I bogeyed and those were huge momentum shifters.”

LET SUZHOU TAIHU OPEN:Taiwan's world number one Yani Tseng recorded a remarkable 11th win of the season in China yesterday.

The double Women’s British Open champion, still only 22 and with five Majors to her name already, took the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open by seven strokes from Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg.

Tseng was three clear going into the final round, but after stretching that to six after seven holes it was not quite the stroll that seemed likely.

Lindberg birdied the 10th, 13th and 14th to cut the gap to three, but Tseng showed her class with birdies of her own at the next two and, with her playing partner bogeying the 16th, it was effectively all over.

Another birdie at the last gave Tseng a second successive 66 and a 54-hole total of 200, 16 under par, while Lindberg’s 70 left her one in front of England’s Melissa Reid (68) and South African Lee-Anne Pace (70) in the European Ladies Tour-sanctioned event.

Tseng, now with 30 titles in four seasons as a professional, said: “It’s very exciting. I made lots of good putts to save par, so I am proud of myself to finish six under on Sunday with no bogeys.

“I just play one shot at a time and be patient and keep learning. I just learn from mistakes.”

She had to speak to the crowd about taking too many photographs on the 12th tee, but said: “I play like it’s normal because I’m happy to see them coming out.”