Ashun Wu produced a stunning final round of 65 to ensure there was a home winner as he secured his second Volvo China Open title in Shanghai.
The Chinese claimed his maiden DP World Tour crown at this event in 2015, which came six days short of exactly 10 years before his second success in Shanghai.
The 39-year-old was on the periphery on the chasing pack for much of the final round, but five birdies on his back nine saw him climb to the top at 14 under at Enhance Anting Golf Club.
None of the final three groups could match his total, though, as Englishman Jordan Smith – Wu’s playing partner – came home in second at 13 under.
South Africa’s Shaun Norris shared 15th position on six under after a final-round 69 with countryman Casey Jarvis’ 72 leaving him a further stroke behind.
Wu’s fifth win on the DP World Tour – the 11th by a Chinese player – will see him rise to 22nd place in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
“It is very special, that was 10 years ago when I won the Volvo China Open in Shanghai,” Wu said. “That was 10 years ago and to come back to Shanghai, and win again, it is a great story.
“It was a great round, I played great golf this week. You are always happy to win your own country’s Open, so very, very exciting.
“On the back nine, I felt I had more chances to make birdies and still be patient, keep going and never give up. Five birdies on the back nine I think, so that is wonderful. It was a really, really good game today.
“He [Smith] pushed me to make some birdies on the back nine, I just said to myself to be patient, the chances are coming.
“It’s an incredible week, there are incredible fans here and lovely golf course. It’s my home, Shanghai, even after a couple of rounds I felt relaxed because I was playing at home. Shanghai has given me luck.”
Smith and Wu, three groups ahead of the leading pair, both made their ascent with birdies at the 1st.
The Englishman soon catapulted into a three-way tie at the top at 11 under when he birdied the 3rd and overnight leader Haotong Li and Eugenio Chacarra bogeyed the opening hole.
Smith made it three gains inside four holes to sit alone at the summit at 12 under, only to be joined by Chacarra after bounced back with a birdie at the 4th. Li increased the leadership to three when he followed his Spanish playing partner in with a birdie at the 4th.
Smith bogeyed the 6th to slip back, but he was still in the lead as Chacarra dropped a shot at the 5th and Li double-bogeyed the same hole.
A birdie at the 7th saw Smith return to 12 under, but he had a new partner at the top after China’s Wenyi Ding carded his sixth birdie at the 11th hole.
Ding dropped a shot at the 12th and when Smith birdied the 8th, he was two shots clear.
However, that was wiped out when he carded a double-bogey at the next, and Smith was joined by Ding, Chacarra, Zecheng Dou and Yannik Paul in a five-way tie for the lead at 11 under.
Chacarra jumped ahead with a brace of birdies from the 8th, but he was swiftly joined by Smith as he bounced back with gains at the 10th and 11th.
Spaniard Chacarra then slipped back to 12 under at the 10th, sitting alongside Wu, Dou, Paul and Tapio Pulkkanen in a share of second.
Wu, who carded two birdies and a bogey on the front nine, set alight his final round by matching Smith with birdies at the 10th and 11th to sit two adrift of his leading playing partner.
He added another at the 13th and when the Chinese crowd cheered home his 35 foot birdie putt at the 15th, he was joint leader at 13 under.
Smith found the thick rough at the drivable par-four 17th and could not get up and down for a par to slide back, just as Wu played a splendid bunker shot to five feet for birdie to open up a two-shot lead.
Wu laid up at the last to set the clubhouse target of 14 under with the lowest round of the day, with Smith completing his round with a birdie to finish one behind.
Germany’s Paul was in third at 12 under, while Li, who had carded a double-bogey, three dropped shots and three birdies through 16 holes, boosted his slim chances of a playoff with an eagle two at the 17th.
The Chinese could not find the green in two at the par-five last as he settled for a bogey and tie for third with Chacarra and Dou at 11 under.
Finland’s Pulkkanen was in solo seventh at 10 under, while Ding ensured there were four Chinese players in the top 10 at nine under alongside Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen.
– Edited report from DP World Tour website
Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
