Home Favorite Ashun Wu Cards Lowest Final Round To Seal Second China Open Title And Reclaim DP World Tour Card

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Volvo China Open. The back nine is shaping up incredibly well from the neutral's point of view with six players within a shot of the lead as things stand.

Jordan Smith is currently ahead by one thanks to a superb round of four-under to this point, while the Indian Open champion, Eugenio Chacarra is among a group of five hot on the Englishman's heels.

We're sure to have a thrilling conclusion to the tournament, so stick with us and we'll bring you all of the key moments as they happen at Enhance Anting GC. Thanks for tuning in!

TENSION BUILDING

Following a bogey for Chacarra at the 10th, where the Spaniard made a real mess of the long par-5, there has not been an awful lot of movement among the top players. Smith, Wu and Pulkkanen have all missed outside birdie chances in recent moments.

Haotong Li and Chacarra make up the final group, and the Chinese player may have just found the water off the tee at 13. Very unlucky for some...

HANGING TOUGH

At the back end of the toughest stretch of holes today (13-15), Smith almost drives his tee ball through the fairway and into the water, but it just about holds on in the first cut. Left with a downhill lie, Smith drills a wedge to the back of the 15th green and has a birdie putt from maybe 30-35 feet.

One of his challengers, Tapio Pulkkanen hits a really poor shot into the 14th and will need to get up and down from the sand to avoid dropping out of that big group in second. The first half of his attempt is excellent. 10 feet left for par.

SHOCKER FROM CHACARRA

Chacarra goes from having a birdie opportunity to walking off with a bogey in one fell swoop. The Spaniard hits the middle of the 13th green but leaves himself an awkward par save. He lips out and that's a three-putt bogey. He's now two back.

Another player to be two back is Finland's Pulkkanen. He ran his par chance by the left edge. Could be crucial at this stage.

WU FIRES UP THE CROWD

Moments after Smith taps in for par at the 15th, his playing partner Wu buries a birdie from 25-30 feet to send the crowd into a frenzy. That has launched Wu into a tie for the lead with only three holes of his round left.

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR

The two leaders make pretty average attempts at finding the par-3 16th green, both leaving their golf balls on the right edge of the putting surface. Wu almost follows up his heroic putt at the 15th with another monster, but it just comes up short. Smith follows suit with a great try down the hill, but it fails to drop. The Englishman, who has putted well today, is perplexed at that one.

TROUBLE FOR SMITH

Wu could be favorite to reach 14-under after two contrasting drives from the leading duo. The 17th hole is a short par-4 playing 305 yards today with bunkers protecting the front. Wu finds one of them, but it's a pretty good shot as it's certainly possibly to run it up the green close to the flag.

Smith, however, may be hitting again after sending a horrible drive out to the right. It looks as though it's landed in the little bunches of long grass. If someone has found it, then it will be a hack out. If not, Smith will be re-teeing. Either way, it's likely bad news for the Englishman.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

The good news is that Jordan Smith's ball has been found. The bad news is that it was unplayable and he'll have to lean on his short game to escape with a par having taken a drop.

Meanwhile, Chacarra has just missed his second short putt in a row to drop another stroke. The Spaniard apparently has a hand/wrist injury which has been causing him trouble since Friday. He really hasn't been himself because of it, understandably.

WU WALKING AWAY WITH IT

That's a beautiful bunker shot from Ashun Wu, leaving himself four feet or so for birdie. He makes it, and the Chinese player who had lost his full playing rights on the DP World Tour last season now has a great chance to win. Two shots clear walking down the last.

However, it looks as though Smith's chances of success are well and truly over. No one in the top-27, currently, has bogeyed the 17th. Smith becomes the first when he hits a fluffy chip short of the green and narrowly fails to chip in. The bogey putt was made to hold a tie for second.

CONTRASTING STYLES

Wu and Smith are going about the par-5 18th in very different ways, with the Chinese pro opting to lay up and guarantee a par while still hoping for a birdie. On the other side, Smith has taken driver and then 3-wood in the hopes of making an eagle. Wu has a short wedge shot into the green (120 yards) while Smith has a monster putt from the other end of the green incoming - both their third shots.

WU SETS CLUBHOUSE LEAD

Ashun Wu sets the target at 14-under after very much a risk-free par at the 18th. His third shot was clipped to the centre of the green before Wu dribbled his birdie attempt down to the hole side.

Can anyone catch him? We're not far away from finding out as the final group begins the 17th hole.

Smith may have wrapped up second after holing his 10-foot birdie putt. It was a good putt to make, but the Englishman knows there was a sense of irony wrapped up in that one as it came so late after his chance had gone.

LI LEAVING IT ALL OUT THERE

Haotong Li needs to finish eagle-eagle to make a shock playoff, and he's set up the first half of that with a near-perfect tee shot at the driveable 17th. Left with 12-15 feet back up the hill with his ball set to slide from right to left, this has to go in for Li to stand any chance.

LI BACK TO WITHIN TWO

Wow - that one was certainly not being left short! Haotong absolutely drills his eagle putt into the hole and gives a big fist pump as the ball disappears. Ashun Wu sits nervously in the scorer's tent, eyes fixed on the TV showing the action.

ALL BUT OVER

The Chinese chaser blasted a drive down the 18th fairway towards the flag, but his cutting approach was on too much of an aggressive line and it bounced right ahead of the green before landing in the mulch.

He's going to have a try, is Haotong, but this looks futile...

ASHUN WU WINS THE VOLVO CHINA OPEN

Haotong Li thwacks his third out of the water to the back of the green and that is that! Ashun Wu cards a stunning final round of 65 - the lowest of the day - to claim his second China Open title following his first in 2015. Amazing for a player who had lost his full playing rights on the DP World Tour just a few months ago...

HEAR FROM THE CHAMPION

Ashun Wu admitted his victory was special for so many reasons, not least because it was in a city he calls home...