By Tony Webeck

Kiwi Ryan Fox left with the trophy but it was a timely top-10 finish for West Australian Jason Scrivener at the DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic in the United Arab Emirates.

Fox saw his six-shot lead reduced to just two late on the front nine yet he responded with consecutive birdies from the 12th hole to seal a five-stroke win, the sixth New Zealand golfer to win multiple DP World Tour events.

Trailing Fox by three at the halfway point of the tournament, Scrivener lost ground with a two-under par 70 on Saturday and then closed with a three-under 69 for a 14-under par total and a share of ninth.

A bogey at the second hole on Sunday was a backward step but Scrivener rattled off four birdies between the fifth and 10th holes to surge up the leaderboard.

Dropped shots at 11 and 12 meant that he would not contend for the minor placings, birdies at 13 and 18 securing his first top-10 finish in more than seven months (T9 at Dubai Duty Free Irish Open).

A run of three straight birdies from the 13th hole was the feature of Wade Ormsby’s closing 69 as he rose to a share of 33rd position, Maverick Antcliff falling to a tie for 58th with an even-par 72 in the final round.

A birdie at the raucous par-3 16th gave Adam Scott a moment to remember at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, the two at the rowdiest hole in golf serving as the centrepiece of a three-birdie run in an otherwise frustrating final day.

Two bogeys on his outward nine prevented Scott from mounting a Sunday surge, a double bogey after finding the water with his tee shot at the par-4 11th another stumble in a one-over 72 and a tie for 38th.

Arizona State alumni Matt Jones also made birdie at the par-3 16th, getting the party started early with a putt of 14 feet from the back edge in his Sunday 71.

Rhein Gibson’s tie for 30th was the best of the Aussies in action at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Golf Championship in Colombia but there is an Australian connection with the winner, Brandon Matthews coached by Manhattan-based PGA Professional Dale Gray who began his PGA traineeship at Kogarah Golf Club in Sydney.

In a great week for New Zealand golf Daniel Hillier finished outright third at the Challenge Tour’s Dimension Data Pro-Am in South Africa, Newcastle’s Blake Windred not advancing past the 54-hole cut.

Results

PGA TOUR WM Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Cse), Scottsdale, Arizona Winner Scottie Scheffler              68-71-62-67—268           $US1.476m T38        Adam Scott        68-70-69-72—279           T58        Matt Jones         72-68-72-71—283           MC        Lucas Herbert    70-73—143 MC        Cam Davis          75-69—144 MC        Danny Lee          76-69—145 MC        Craig Hocknull   74-74—148

DP World Tour The Ras Al Khaimah Classic Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Winner Ryan Fox             63-69-65-69—266           €298,947 T9          Jason Scrivener 66-69-70-69—274           €28,296 T33        Wade Ormsby   69-68-72-69—278           €12,250 T58        Maverick Antcliff             67-70-72-72—281           €5,099 MC        Scott Hend         67-77—144

Korn Ferry Tour Astara Golf Championship Country Club de Bogota, Bogota, Colombia Winner Brandon Matthews        67-65-66-66—264           $US135,000 T30        Rhein Gibson     67-67-70-70—274           $4,995 T48        Harrison Endycott           69-64-72-73—278           $3,250 T54        Curtis Luck         68-68-74-69—279           $3,135 MC        Ryan Ruffels      66-72—138 MC        Brett Drewitt     70-69—139 MC        Nick Voke           73-74—147

Challenge Tour Dimension Data Pro-Am Fancourt Golf Estate, George, South Africa Winner Alexander Knappe          65-67-66-68—266           €54,948 3            Daniel Hillier      64-72-63-71—270           €24,232 MC        Blake Windred  72-72-73—217