Adam Scott began the week with a course record 63 and so it was appropriate that the Australian ended the week in similarly impressive fashion when he was crowned the Johnnie Walker Classic champion at the Pine Valley Golf Resort & Country Club in Beijing.
The 24 year old claimed his fifth European Tour International Schedule victory and his ninth overall win as a professional with a final round 72 for an 18 under par total of 270 to finish three shots clear of the 2002 champion Retief Goosen, who closed with a 70 for 273.
Having led all the way from his scintillating opening effort, the pressure was on Scott to deliver having started the final round with a five shot advantage over the field, and for a while during an intriguing afternoon, he showed signs of buckling as his lead was reduced to a solitary shot.
But being the true champion he is, he recovered manfully to once again put daylight between himself and Goosen – his only serious challenger as the afternoon unfolded – to collect the €305,049 (£208,330) first prize to move up to third on The European Tour Order of Merit behind Goosen and Ernie Els.
“With the weather delays we had, I have played a lot of golf over the last two days and for most of it I played pretty well,” he said. “Today was tough in the wind but I did what I needed to do. I hung on and I’m proud of myself for doing that.”
With Goosen three under par for the first eight holes of the final round, Scott knew he was in for a fight and when he notched back to back bogeys at the ninth and tenth, suddenly his lead was reduced to only one shot.
But the crucial moment arrived on the tee at the 219 yard 12th hole where he fired a superb two iron to within three feet and holed for a much needed birdie. It gave the Australian the impetus again and he capitalised on the very next hole, the 517 yard 13th, where he two putted for birdie to stretch his lead to three as Goosen overshot the green and could do no better than a par five.
With the wind taken from his sails, Goosen could not manage to conjure up any further birdies in the final five holes and Scott matched him stride for stride to seal, in the end, a comfortable victory.
His second place finish enabled him to stretch his lead at the top of The European Tour Order of Merit and Goosen said: “I suppose I have to be happy. It is better than third but I would have liked to have putted better, especially today.
“The chances were there to catch him but I didn’t take them. I just made pars on the back nine and missed a lot of putts there. But good for Adam, he played well. He bogeyed the ninth and tenth and I suppose it would have been good for me to make birdie on the 11th to increase the pressure.
“But I didn’t and then I made a bad club selection with my approach shot on the 13th and that was that really.”
Three players shared third place on 13 under par 275, the 2000 champion Michael Campbell, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and Richard Sterne of South Africa, the latter shooting a final round 71 while the former pair each carded level par 72s.
Most relieved to be in that position was Stenson – winner of The Heritage tournament on The European Tour in 2004 - and who revealed he was close to having to retire from the final round thanks to back problems.
“I am very happy with today as my back went on the first green and it was so bad that I could hardly hit the golf ball,” he said. “I crouched down to look at my putting line and when I got up, I could hardly stand up.
“I had some manipulation treatment on the third tee from the physio but under those circumstances, I was very happy that I finished off the round and kept the tournament together. It would have taken a lot for me to walk off but it could have happened.”
