Englishman Shinkwin wins Cazoo Open in Wales on DP World Tour

The home fans may have expected to see a match play contest develop between overnight leader Shinkwin and Julien Guerrier, who were separated by one shot at the start of the day.

But after a tense opening in which Guerrier fell two behind at the first before a two shot swing on the second hauled him level, Shinkwin ran away from his rival, finding himself six clear after six holes.

Twists and turns

With the pair posting different numbers at each of the first 11 holes, there were minor twists and turns as the round progressed but Shinkwin never relinquished his lead, despite a late charge from Scot Connor Syme piling on the pressure.

Shinkwin signed for a closing 70 to comfortably add a second title to the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open crown he won in 2020.

Syme finished alone in second on eight under thanks to a 68 which contained an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys, while Guerrier was in the large group in a tie for third on five under.

Shinkwin began the day one shot ahead of playing partner Guerrier and saw his advantage increase to two strokes early on after the Frenchman opened his round with a bogey, while Shinkwin made par.

A two-shot swing at the second pulled Guerrier alongside Shinkwin at the summit on ten under as he holed his 15 foot birdie putt and the Englishman surrendered a bogey.

But as Guerrier bogeyed each of the next three holes, Shinkwin reeled off a hat-trick of gains at the fourth, fifth and sixth to open up a commanding six-shot lead.

The first of those birdies came courtesy of a 17 foot putt on the fourth green, while he holed from around seven feet at the next.

Shinkwin then skipped his approach at the sixth to six feet before confidently knocking in the putt to move to 13 under.

Back-to-back bogeys followed for Shinkwin at the seventh and eighth, but Guerrier was unable to capitalise as he parred the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.

Shinkwin bounced back from his two successive dropped shots with a 12-foot birdie on the ninth to head to the turn with a five-shot lead.

He found the bunker at the short tenth but managed to save par to avoid a two-shot swing, as Guerrier converted his 12 foot birdie putt there to close the gap to four.

Shinkwin returned to 13 under thanks to a birdie at the par-five 11th, which came after he had sent his enormous eagle putt to five feet.

And with Guerrier only managing a par at the same hole, Shinkwin stretched his lead to five shots once more.

Shinkwin saved par from six feet at the 12th but bogeyed the next to move back to 12 under, and when Guerrier found water on the 13th to drop two shots, Shinkwin’s nearest challenger became Paul Waring, who was five strokes back.

Six clear

A bogey for Waring at the 15th meant Shinkwin was six clear with four holes to play and he kept his foot on the gas, two-putting for a birdie on the driveable 15th.

Shinkwin bogeyed the 16th and Syme got his second successive birdie there to close the gap to four with two to play.

But the leader produced a gutsy par save at the 17th to avoid another two-shot swing and head to the last three clear of Syme, who made birdie at the penultimate hole.

A closing par for Shinkwin meant he could celebrate his second title with loved ones on the green.

An emotional Shinkwin said, “I’m just over the moon that I played great and finished it off. (Syme) sort of came out of nowhere. He was six, seven back and then obviously made a couple of birdies - a good putt on 16 where I made bogey. And him hitting it in close when I’ve struggled at the 17th all week; to hole that putt to guarantee a three-shot lead going down the last was huge.”