Japan’s Kota Kaneko secured his maiden DP World Tour win on just his 12th appearance with a two-stroke victory in the Austrian Alpine Open on Sunday.
The 23-year-old shot a final-round 67 to finish at 18 under, two shots ahead of America’s Davis Bryant and Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia.
Having topped the leaderboard heading into the weekend, England’s Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston recorded his second-successive even-par round to finish seven shots off the pace in a tie for 17th.
Kaneko came into the event in strong form having finished tied-second at last week’s Soudal Open in Belgium and held a one-shot lead heading into the final day’s play in Kitzbuhel after three successive 65s.
A final-round of 67 was enough for the Japanese player to take the title on Sunday, although he had to come through a 71-minute delay due to the threat of lightning in the area and then some nervy moments when back on the course across the final hour holes.
After dropping a shot at the par-five 15th when play resumed, Kaneko seemed to surprise himself by chipping in from off the edge of the green to retake the solo lead from Bryant at the next hole, the par-three 16th.
Two holes later and, now holding a two-shot lead and seeming set to clinch the title, had a lucky escape at the last, also a par three.
His tee shot hit the stand at the back of the hole, went back across the green and was only saved from the water and a costly drop shot by the thick greenside rough.
But Kaneko made no mistake from there and, after after a tournament-clinching par, said: “I’m just really happy. I still can’t believe that I won.
“[At the 16th] I knew I hit it hard, but it went in so I was lucky.
“I knew I hit the board [at the 18th] but I knew it didn’t go in the water, so I was just happy it didn’t find the water.”
The DP World Tour’s European Swing continues at the KLM Open in the Netherlands, live from Thursday through to Sunday on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
