China Triumph Gives Mcgrane First Tour Title

Damien McGrane overcame bad weather to win the China Open by nine strokes and claim his first European Tour title.

McGrane had gone into the final day with a three-stroke lead and fired a one-over 73 to finish with a 10-under total of 278 at the Beijing CBD International course. "Every player that plays on the European Tour wants to win a tournament and now I have won the world is my oyster," said the Irishman. "It is what I have grown up for since I was a little boy and hopefully I can go on and win more tournaments."

In windy and wet conditions, he beat Oliver Wilson, Simon Griffiths and Michael Lorenzo-Vera who all tied for second on 287. "This week everything went my way. I had good fortune, I loved the course - the bad weather didn't put me off my game today, so it was everything I've ever expected," said McGrane. "I knew that if the weather turned everybody would need their short game and would have to rely on it."

Conceding only two dropped shots in his first eight holes McGrane, 37, delivered a death-blow to nearest challenger Lorenzo-Vera on the ninth, chipping in for birdie after landing his approach shot between two bunkers. The shot saw McGrane pull four strokes clear of the Frenchman, who quickly ceased to be a threat after dropping four shots on his next five holes. "To win golf tournaments, you see it happen every week. Possibly that was my moment where I won the Volvo China Open," said McGrane.

He cemented the win with a birdie on the 11th, holding six consecutive pars as the rain continued to fall, before conceding a bogey on the last.