Published July 17, 2008 on July 15, 2018

Winslow Wins First Pro Title at Yantai Championship

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American Joseph Winslow won his first career title with a three-shot victory over Japan’s Yuwa Kosaihira at the RMB 1.5 million Yantai Championship, the seventh event of this year’s PGA TOUR Series-China.

Winslow, 25, shot nine birdies in a closing 7-under 65 for a 19-under total of 269 as he made up a three-shot deficit on the back nine to overtake 20-year-old Kosaihira (69), who led the 6-foot-5 American and Chinese amateur Yechun “Carl” Yuan by one shot starting the final round.

Yuan, 21, played with Winslow and Kosaihira in the final group for the second straight day and shot a 71 to share third at 13-under along with Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul (68), a two-time winner playing on the Tour for the first time this year.

Korea’s Todd Baek, who started the week third on the Order of Merit, opened with five straight birdies en route to a 67 to share fifth with American Charlie Netzel (69) and New Zealand’s Mathew Perry (70) at 11-under, one ahead of Hong Kong’s Motin Yeung (70), who was second on the Order of Merit after winning last month’s Kunming Championship.

England’s Callum Tarren (69) finished ninth at 9-under, two shots ahead of Deyen Lawson (72), who was the top Australian for the third successive event.

After nine holes, Winslow – who led after the first and second rounds – was three shots behind Kosaihira, who had carded four straight birdies from No. 5 on his way to a front nine of 32. Winslow birdied 10 and drew level after the Japanese double-bogeyed the par-3 11th.

Both players birdied 12 and Kosaihira took the lead after an eagle at 15, which Winslow birdied. Winslow then led for the first time on Sunday after he chipped-in for a birdie on the par-3 16th and Kosaihira bogeyed, and the American carried a one-shot buffer to the 18th, a hole he had bogeyed a day earlier to lose a share of the lead.

“I wasn’t thinking about yesterday’s bogey at all. I knew that the key was to hit a good drive up there and I hit it a little more left than I wanted to, but I knew where the pin was and I still had a good angle,” said Winslow, who hit his next shot to 10 feet, before sinking the putt and screaming in delight.

“I knew that with the pin being back right, I still had a good shot, especially into the wind, and I was able to get a pretty good number. I swung a confident 8-iron and I was fortunate to get it basically next to the pin.”

Winslow was 20th on the Order of Merit coming into this event and will make a big jump towards his goal of finishing the year in the top-five to earn Web.com Tour status for 2019 after earning RMB 270,000, more than double his earnings from the previous six events (RMB 125,837.50).

“My whole goal this year is to get my Web.com card for next year. It’s one step at a time, one tournament at a time, and there’s a lot of work I still have to do,” said Winslow, who won the second International Qualifying Tournament in Hainan in February.

“I’m excited with where my game’s at and where it’s been going. I’m going to enjoy this tonight, then I’m going to refocus and get back to work in Qingdao and go do it again.”

Despite six birdies and an eagle in his final round, Kosaihira, who turned 20 in May, let Winslow back in with his double-bogey at 11. Despite a birdie at 12 and an eagle at 15, he then bogeyed 16 and 18 – both holes Winslow birdied – to fall short, but the talented youngster is hopeful he’ll have more chances to get a win.

“I’m happy with the tournament, but really disappointed with my double-bogey on 11. Joseph played well and hit a very nice chip-in on hole 16,” said Kosaihira, who lives in Osaka.

“I’m playing well. I think I could have won today; it was very close. I think next week I can try and win again.”

Yuan, who played at the University of Washington for three years, was excited about a tie for third and after playing in Sunday’s final group for the past two events, he’s hoping to build further confidence at the next two events in Qingdao and Beijing as he prepares to play the Asian Games in Indonesia next month.

“I’m happy with the week overall, for sure. I played a really good strategy overall and only made four bogeys for the week and nothing worse than a bogey, which is good for me,” said Yuan, who tied for 18th at last month’s Kunming Championship after also closing with a 71.

“My putting has definitely been getting better compared to the last event, so I got my confidence and I’m excited to play the next two events.”

Every tournament on this year’s PGA TOUR Series-China offers RMB 1.5 million, a 25-per cent increase over purse levels from 2016.

The PGA TOUR established PGA TOUR Series-China in 2014 as its third international developmental tour, following in the footsteps of PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. Since its inception, PGA TOUR Series-China players have received Official World Golf Ranking points for top finishes at official tournaments.