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Lee claims maiden title in Shenzhen showdown
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Lee claims maiden title in Shenzhen showdown

Soomin Lee went wire-to-wire at the Shenzhen International to claim his first European Tour title at Genzon Golf Club.

Soomin Lee

Lee, Alexander Levy, Lee Slattery, Joost Luiten, Brandon Stone and Scott Hend all had a chance to take the crown, with just one shot separating the six players as the weather-delayed event came down to a day five shootout.

The South Korean began the day in a share of top spot with five holes to play and a birdie on the 16th followed by an eagle on the next helped him sign for a closing 71 and get to 16 under.

That gave him a two-shot victory over Luiten and Stone and banished the memory of the Maybank Championship Malaysia, where he came into the final round with a three-shot lead but made two double-bogeys in his last three holes to finish in a share of second.

The 22 year old finished in the top three on his European Tour debut at the UBS Hong Kong Open before that drama at Selangor Golf Club and now enters the winner's circle in just his sixth start.

"I got a big chance in Malaysia but I didn't make it because I was really, really nervous. Now I made it," he said

"Yesterday I was really, really nervous. We had a lot of break times and then played again so that's really good for me and I just thought about my golf and then competed until I could do it.

I'm really happy and really exblockquoted. This is really good for me and really good for my golf life - Soomin Lee

"First time European Tour winner in just six events. It was really incredible.

"I really, really want to play Europe so it's good for me."

Over nine hours of play had been lost on the first four days due to electrical activity and heavy rain, resulting in the first Monday finish at a regular European Tour event since the 2011 Singapore Open.

Another hour was lost on the fifth morning due to fog but when play got under way at 7.30am, Frenchman Levy's first shot was a missed birdie putt on the 13th while England's Slattery and South African Stone both missed their birdie efforts on the 14th.

Dutchman Luiten made his par putt on the 16th, so Lee and Levy both stayed at 14 under through 13 holes, Slattery was on the same score through 14, with playing partner Stone, Luiten and Hend - in the clubhouse with a 66 - a shot further back.

Stone made the first move with a four-foot birdie putt on the 15th and he replaced Slattery in the group at 14 under with the Englishman making a bogey after finding trouble off the tee.

Luiten then rolled in a ten-footer on the last to sign for a blemish-free 68 and finish at 14 under but Lee was soon one ahead of that after putting his approach to 15 feet on the 16th.

Lee double-bogeyed the par five 17th after going for the green in two in the third round but he found it this time and rolled in his eagle putt to take a three-shot lead up the last.

Levy had found the water to bogey the same hole and while Lee dropped a shot on the last, he completed his victory with the minimum of fuss.

Stone signed for a 68 to join Luiten, who enjoyed a sixth top ten in nine events on, 14 under, with Levy and Slattery both signing for 71s to finish in a tie for fourth alongside Australian Hend.

Welshman Bradley Dredge was then at 11 under, a shot clear of Spaniard Nacho Elvira, Swede Rikard Karlberg, Dane Thorbjørn Olesen and two-time Major Championship winner Bubba Watson.

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