Tommy Fleetwood moves to top of Race to Dubai with HNA Open de France win
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Tommy Fleetwood carded a five-under-par final-round of 66 to win the HNA Open de France at Le Golf National, moving to the top of the Race to Dubai.
Fleetwood, who won in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, tamed the 2018 Ryder Cup venue on Sunday to clinch victory by a single shot over American Peter Uihelin at 12-under-par.
The 26-year-old Englishman began the day one shot behind, but he got off to a quick start which included a near hole-in-one on the second and a birdie on the third.
Another came on the ninth for Fleetwood to make the turn in 33, and he put three shots between himself and the field with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th.
While Tommy parred his final four holes, Peter Uihlein birdied the 17th to put himself within one shot with one to play and leaving his competitor waiting in the wings in case of a play-off.
But it was not to be for Uihlein, and as he was unable to hole from the green-side bunker on the final hole, Fleetwood celebrated with his team inside.
However, there is some consolation for Uihelin, who grabbed one of the three Open qualifying spots with Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Swede Alexander Björk, who both finished in a share of third at eight under alongside Dane Thorbjørn Olesen.
“Today, it’s a day that I’ll never forget,” he said. “The way I felt coming down the stretch, the holes and the shots you have to hit.
“Winning, it’s the best feeling by far in golf and to do it on this golf course in this event, a Rolex Series event, just massive, massive bonuses.
“It’s just been a great week from start to finish. Coming off the back of good golf, US Open and BMW in Germany, felt like I’ve been swinging it well. So it’s good to put it into practice and I’ve just kept up good form.
“With the start I had this year, it’s very easy to look at the Race to Dubai and want to look towards the end of the year. Winning the Race to Dubai, it’s going to be tough.”
“I was a long way ahead and then Sergio won the Masters. You can’t control what other people do. With how strong the Tour is, there’s no reason why people can’t win Majors. It might be me, it might be someone else.”
