Lee ended the tournament on 20-under-par to
claim the trophy for the first time, with Hoshino second and
Marc Leishman climbing up to take third after a seven-under-par
final round.
"I made it interesting early on and through the middle but I
ended up hanging on and I'm really proud," he said.
"Rikuya's a really good player and he kept knocking on the door,
but it was exactly the same as my last win, my playing partner
just kept coming so I knew I needed to keep playing well and do
my thing.
"I did, I'm really proud how I made some up-and-downs and some
putts."
Hoshino trailed by three shots after the penultimate round but
pulled level when Lee, who started the day on 17-under, bogeyed
the first and the Japanese golfer picked up birdies at the
second and third holes.
Lee responded in impressive fashion, however, embarking on a
strong run over the rest of the front nine.
Three birdies in four holes were followed by an eagle at the
ninth, when Lee chipped in from well off the green to pick up
another two strokes and put himself in a commanding position.
His grip on the lead was loosened slightly by a dropped shot at
the par-four 10th and, while a birdie at the 12th saw him
reclaim that lost stroke, another bogey at the 14th ensured his
lead remained at three going into the final holes.
Lee put the result beyond doubt at the 15th when he pitched his
third shot to within a foot at the par-five, his successful
birdie putt giving him an unassailable lead.
Hoshino sealed second by going three-under-par on the final
round while Leishman charged through the field with a course
record-equalling 63, including a lengthy birdie putt on the 18th
hole, to take third.
(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Editing by William
Mallard)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|