Soomin Lee wins first European Tour title at Shenzhen International

25 April 2016 02:53

Soomin Lee claimed his first European Tour title as the weather-affected Shenzhen International finally concluded on Monday.

After poor weather forced the players to return to the Genzon Golf Club for a fifth day, fog caused further delays but once play began, it was Lee who showed his class.

Only one shot separated Lee, Alexander Levy, Lee Slattery, Joost Luiten, Brandon Stone and Scott Hend at the start of the day.

Lee, who had five holes to play, birdied the 16th before an eagle on the 17th saw him pull away as he signed for a 71 that took him to 16 under.

The 22-year-old finished two shots clear of Luiten and Stone as he claimed the silverware on only his sixth European Tour start.

"I'm really happy," Lee said in his post-tournament press conference. "I was excited this weekend. First time a European Tour winner in just six events. It was really incredible.

"Yesterday I was really, really nervous. But we have a lot of break time and then this morning I felt really comfortable."

When play eventually got under way, Stone was the first of the contenders to make a move with a birdie on the 15th allowing him to join those on 14 under, but Slattery made a bogey to drop back.

Luiten found the hole from ten feet on the 18th to sign for a 68, leaving him at 14 under, but Lee responded with a birdie on the 16th to take the lead.

Then, on the par five seventeenth hole he had double-bogeyed in the third round, Lee found the green in two and sank the eagle putt for a three-shot lead.

Levy found the water to bogey the same hole, giving Lee breathing space to get away with a bogey on the last.

Luiten and Stone finished two shots back, while Hend, Slattery and Levy shared fourth place at 13 under.

Welshman Bradley Dredge sat alone in seventh place at 11 under.

Source: PA