- Finau hacks up in Houston
- Fleetwood defends in South Africa
- Finau fancied at 33/1 for Augusta
A week after Russell Henley cruised to a four-stroke victory at the World Wide Technology Championship, having led by six with a round to go, pre-event 18.017/1 chance, Tony Finau, who was matched at 26.025/1 when the market first opened, comfortably converted a four-stroke 54-hole lead at the Houston Open.
Trading at 1.162/13 with a round to go, Finau birdied the second hole to extend his advantage. The result was never in doubt as he turned for home after he'd fired a four-under-par 31 on the front nine.
The back nine was far scruffier and Finau dropped shots at 10, 14 and 15. But the result was never in doubt. He parred the last three to win by four over 34-year-old pre-event 1000.0999/1 chance Tyson Alexander whose best previous result on the PGA Tour was tied 44th at the Bermuda Championship last month.
In South Africa, the Nedbank Golf Challenge was a far more competitive heat with the result unclear until the 72nd green.
After numerous weather delays and a ridiculously long day on Saturday to catch up, pre-event 18.017/1 chance Thomas Detry and 30.029/1 chance Rasmus Hojgaard began the fourth and final round tied for the lead. As highlighted in the In-Play Blog, however, third round leaders have had a poor record of late and it looked a devilishly tough tournament to sort out.
Play was suspended yet again due to the threat of lightning after the leaders had played only five holes on Sunday with Hojgaard leading by a stroke over Tommy Fleetwood and huge outsider Shubhankar Sharma.
The Dane was matched at a low of 2.6413/8 but he couldn't get going after the delay - bogeying seven and eight before recording a double-bogey seven at nine - and his fellow 54-hole leader Thomas Detry also struggled.
The dejected Hojgaard went on to shoot a four-over-par 76 to finish tied eighth and Detry, who was matched at 500.0499/1 after a slow start on Thursday, hit a low of just 3.02/1 before limping round in 77 to finish tied 13th.
Richie Ramsay put in a charge from off the pace but deep into the back nine three men moved clear of the rest - the defending champ, Fleetwood, Shrama and the first-round leader, Ryan Fox.
Tied for the lead with Fox, Sharma, a pre-event 700.0699/1 shot, who had been matched for plenty at 1000.0999/1, hit a low of 2.6213/8 when he hit a brilliant approach at the par five 14th to set up an eagle chance. But it was Fleetwood who recorded a three there in spectacular fashion.
Pre-event 27.026/1 chance, Fox, Sharma and the well-backed 11.010/1 favourite, Fleetwood, who was matched at a high of 46.045/1 after a slow start, all parred the 15th to remain tied at the top.
The first of the trio to crack was Sharma who bogeyed both 16 and 17.
Fox was matched at a low of 1.618/13 when Fleetwood missed the 17th green but the Englishman made a fabulous up and down to save par there. He held his nerve on the 18th to win by a stroke after Fox had hit a very strange drive.
Ordinarily a big hitter, the Kiwi was unable to reach the green with his approach after his tee-shot on the 72nd hole didn't even make the fairway. His attempt from the fringe to salvage a par and take the event to extra-time never threatened the hole.
Fleetwood is the ninth man to win the event twice, the seventh to successfully defend the title and given three men - David Frost, Nick Price and Lee Westwood - have all won the event three times, Fleetwood could be one to stick with, although nobody has won the event three times in-a-row.
I backed Guido Migliozzi at 120.0119/1 before the off because he'd won the Open de France and he was in the thick of it until he made a 10 on the 17th in round two.
That's an angle in I'll explore again next year as both Migliozzi and Hojgaard boosted the already strong link between the Gary Player Country Club and Paris National. Hojgaard had led the Open de France before getting caught my Migliozzi on Sunday.
Fleetwood, Alex Noren and Martin Kaymer have all won both events in the last 10 years.
Over in Texas, Tony Finau boosted the link between Memorial Park and Augusta and Riviera.
Form at Augusta and Riviera crosses over really well and Finau has twice finished second at Riviera so could he be ready win his first major at Augusta in April.
Finau look a decent price at an industry best 33/1 with the Sportsbook to win the US Masters given he's won three of his last seven events and that the last three US Masters winners - Scottie Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama, and Dustin Johnson - have finished second at Memorial Park.
Finau won back-to-back events in July and he's a warm favourite to repeat the feat at the RSM Classic this week. But that's not the main event with the world number one Rory McIlroy, along with Jon Rahm and the US Open winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, all in attendance at the DP World Tour Championship. I'll be back later today or tomorrow with the previews.
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