Fabrizio Zanotti gave a huge fist pump to go with his eagle at the 18th of Saujana Golf & Country Club on Sunday, which secured his one-stroke victory at the Maybank Championship.
Paraguay’s finest golfer shot a flawless 63, including seven birdies and that crucial eagle to finish the week at 19 under par and one stroke clear of America’s David Lipsky.
‘I think it was probably the best round of my career, so I’m very happy,’ said Zanotti. ‘It was a really good day, a really good week and I’m really happy. I think it was at the 15th where I thought I might be able to win, when I made birdie there. I thought, maybe I’ll have a chance if I make two more birdies, but I made a birdie and an eagle so it was great.’
The leaderboard was an international mixture with Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger sole third, France’s Alexander Levy in sole fourth, and China’s Haotong Li tied for fifth place with Englishman Danny Willett.
It was a tough event for the South African contingent, but Haydn Porteous flew the flag with his tie for 26th place. The 2016 Joburg Open winner shot 67 on Saturday to rise up the leaderboard, but settled for a 72 in the final round to end the tournament at seven under par.
By contrast Zanotti closed the tournament with a 31-stroke back nine and deservedly lifted the trophy.
Relive one of the best final rounds you’ll ever see in 150 seconds. pic.twitter.com/GwbJLTBco1
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) February 12, 2017
