4th round Wuhan Open – PGA Tour China
After the final round of the Wuhan Open, PGA Tour China I have shot a score of 73 (+1) for an overall total of 5 over to come T25th.
With conditions today the best of the week and rising to a decent, sweaty temperature the course was there for the taking. Although over night my body started to feel very ill. The symptoms were sore muscles, throat and feeling overall weak. I got to bed early in an attempt to rest and recover but when I woke I felt the same, even after the round I have not improved. As I knew I was under the weather the game plan was to just hang in around even par. I wasn’t able to put much effort into my drives and approach shots into the greens.
The front nine is the harder side of the course and a great score around even par was the goal. Being 2 over through 3 holes on the tough section I was on the grind early to pull those shots back. With 2 par 5’s in the next 3 hole, one only being reachable I was able to get a shot back although it was on the tougher par 5 set up by a brilliant 70m shot to 2ft.
Backing the birdie up with a 3 putt bogey missing a 3ft slider, hitting the putt to firm through the break crippled my come back. Or so I thought as I stumped an 8iron to a foot at the next. Tap in birdie. Would have been happy with my score for the front nine but a bogey at the last got me back to 2 over as the tee shot just missed the fairway getting unlucky with the lie.
The par 5, 10th is birdie everyday of the week but I struggled to make 5 there having a 200m 4 wood out of a bunker over water and up an incline. But I managed to hit the right shot making up and down from just off the green. That felt like I got the momentum back even though it was a par save. 11th I holes one of the trickiest putts on the course all week for birdie. The longest putt of the week too. What a time to do it.
Opportunities from 15ft and 9ft for birdie on 12 and 13 could have kick started the day only making pars. Tee shot on 15 the short par 5 crept into the rough where the ball sat down causing a flyer over the back of the green into a bunker which was not raked properly from the previous groups. Lucky to make par there after being in the bunker for 2.
16 from the fairway on the approach from 118m I could not believe my 52 degrees wedge flew the green not making up and down as I stumped it on the par 3 17th making birdie from 3ft down the hill. With a great 7 iron into the last I had my chance to shot even par for the day from 12ft but it was not to be. Bugger!
Overall the damage was done early in the week shooting 5 over in the 1st round considering I did have the worst side of the draw. Remember the best score on my side of the draw was 1 over and on the other side was 3 under so I did fairly well to keep myself at 5 over for the week. Another week down and onto Chengdu for week 3 of the PGA Tour China Tour.
