Grace wins as McGrane falls away

Branden Grace claimed the Volvo China Open title as a final-round 69 left him three shots clear of the rest of the field.

The 23-year-old South African, who won two European Tour events on native soil at the start of the year, carded four birdies against one bogey to triumph at the Binhai Lake Golf Club in Tianjin.

Ireland’s Damien McGrane closed with a fine 68, but the damage had been done in the middle two rounds and he finished nine shots off the leader.

Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts was second after matching Grace’s last-day round, while Englishman Richard Finch was third, a further shot back.

Grace, who won the Volvo Golf Champions and the Joburg Openearlier this year, came through the Tour qualifying school in the winter. He was wayward off the first tee but recovered with a 15-foot par putt, while both he and Colsaerts birdied the second.

Grace bogeyed the par-four fourth, but he responded with birdies at the long sixth and struck his approach to five feet for another gain at the seventh. Colsaerts birdied the seventh and ninth to move within two shots of Grace, but then bogeyed the 10th and saw his chances fade further with a Grace birdie at 12. The South African parred the final six holes, while Colsaerts’ birdie at the last allowed him to finish in outright second ahead of Finch.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood has defended his Indonesian Masters title despite going two over par for the final round in Jakarta. Westwood finished 16 under for the tournament after three strong days in a modest field, eventually winning by two strokes after signing for a disappointing 74.

He completed his third round morning after lightning disrupted play on day three and initially looked to be cantering.

After 54 holes, he was eight clear at the summit but was almost reeled in by Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, who finished five under for the day to take second place. Indian pair Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shiv Kapur were tied for third on 12 under.