Russell Knox wins WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai

-20 Russell Knox (Sco); -18 K Kisner (US); -17 D Willett (Eng), R Fisher (Eng), -16 B Grace (SA), D Johnson (US); Selected others -15 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -14 R McIlroy (NI), S Garcia (Sp); -10 P Casey (Eng); -8 I Poulter (Eng), M Kaymer (Ger); -6 L Donald (Eng); -3 L Westwood (Eng)

Scotsman Russell theologist secured a notable two-stroke success at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

The 30-year-old world range eighty five, UN agency was seventh reserve, is that the 1st Scotsman to win a WGC and had six birdies in a very four-under sixty eight to complete twenty underneath.

England's Danny Willett equalled the course record with a sixty two to require third.

American Jordan Spieth returns to world darling when finishing in joint seventh, with Northern IrelanderRory McIlroy an additional shot adrift with sixty six.

Landmark victory

It was Knox's 1st success on either the eu or PGA Tour, with the co-sanctioned tournament a part ofthe eu Tour's Race To city.

Knox grew up in Inverness and attended urban center University in Florida.

He took 5 years to achieve the PGA Tour and also the nearest he had antecedently been to a title was losing a four-man play-off within the 2014 Honda Classic that enclosed McIlroy and was won by Russell Henley.

The Shanghai success sends theologist to the Masters in Gregorian calendar month for the primarytime, in conjunction with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Russell theologist
The Scotchman had chosen to not end the third spherical on Sat evening attributable to darkness. He came within the morning chill to play the par-five eighteenth and hit a wedge to a few feet for a birdie to tie yankee Kevin Kisner for the 54-hole lead.

In the final spherical he opened a two-shot lead with birdies on the tenth and eleventh and rolled in a very 10-foot birdie putt on the sixteenth to maneuver a snug 3 strokes clear.

"I continually thought i used to be reaching to win an enormous one as my 1st one however this can be reaching to take an extended time to sink in," he said.

Although the win offers him a ecu Tour exemption till the top of the 2018 season, theologist isn't presently a member and is predicated on the PGA Tour in America.

This makes him ineligible for next year's Ryder Cup at Hazeltine however he said: "Obviously it's reaching to be a goal of mine to form the eu Ryder Cup team.

"But I even have no plan wherever I stand or what i want to try to to to form the team. however Iforestall to looking for and giving it a run."

Challengers

Spieth was 3 shots off the lead when the third spherical following a sixty three however bogeyed thegap hole of his final spherical, with a seventy feat him 5 shots behind theologist.

It was enough to depose PGA champion mythical being Day at the highest of the rankings, however.

World range 3 McIlroy, troubled by malady before the beginning of the tournament, maintained his lead within the Race To city standings when carding seven birdies on the ultimate day to complete in a very share of eleventh place.

American Dustin Johnson had touched to among one amongst the lead at the Sheshan International Golf Club. His third shot at the par-five eighth hit the flag stick and rolled off into the water, leading to as hoot. He finished in a very share of fifth.

Kisner created birdie on the eighteenth for a seventy to say second, his fourth contender this year,the opposite 3 being play-off losses.