Echavarria wins in Japan, Yin victorious in South Korea

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INZAI CITY, Japan — Nico Echavarria birdied two of the last three holes Sunday for a 3-under 67 to win the Zozo Championship by one shot over Justin Thomas and Max Greyserman.

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Echavarria won for the second time on the PGA Tour, this one sending him to the Masters next year for the first time. His other victory was last year in the Puerto Rico Open, held opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 30-year-old Chilean finished at 20-under 260 at the Narashino Country Club to break the tournament record set by Tiger Woods in 2019.

Thomas, in likely his lone FedEx Cup Fall appearance before going home for the birth of his first child, closed with a 66. Greyserman briefly held a one-shot lead and closed with a 65. It was his third runner-up finish in his last five stars.

LPGA Tour

Ruoning Yin won for the second time in three weeks by closing with a 7-under 65 to break out of a three-way tie for the lead and win the Maybank Championship by one shot.

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Yin also won the Buick LPGA Shanghai that kicked off the “Asia Swing” on the LPGA Tour, which concludes next week in Japan. The Chinese star previously won the Dow Championship team event, giving her three LPGA titles this year.

Yin held off Jeeno Thitikul (66), a runner-up for the second straight year in Malaysia. Thitikul and Yin were partners in the Dow Championship victory.

Haeran Ryu of South Korea shot a 67 and finished two shots behind.

European Tour

Byeong Hun An made an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 5-under 67, and then birdied the par-5 18th in a playoff to defeat Tom Kim in the Genesis Championship for his second European tour title.

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The victory was nine years after An won his first European title in the BMW PGA Championship. It follows a strong year for the 33-year-old South Korean that has been missing only a victory. An, who made the Presidents Cup team, moved to No. 27 in the world ranking.

Kim missed an 8-foot birdie putt for the win. He also closed with a 67.

Ricardo Gouveia of Portugal shot 67 to finish one shot out of the playoff. But his third-place finish was enough for him to secure his full European tour card for next year. Gouveia came into the week at No. 154 in the Race to Dubai.

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PGA Tour Champions

Padraig Harrington closed with a 5-under 67 for a two-shot victory in the Simmons Bank Championship, his third title this year on the PGA Tour Champions.

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Y.E. Yang made 10 birdies in his closing round of 65 and pulled within one shot when Harrington made his lone bogey on the 14th hole. But the Irishman held steady with three straight pars, and then hammered a drive down the 18th fairway that left him a long iron to the green and two putts for a final birdie.

The tournament determined the top 36 who qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in two weeks in Phoenix. New York club pro Jason Caron made the biggest move from No. 53 to No. 35 with a 68 to tie for third with Hiroyuki Fujita, who also advanced.

Cameron Percy of Australia bogeyed three straight holes toward the end, but got the 36th spot when Miguel Angel Jimenez missed a 10-foot par putt on the 18th.

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Other tours

Chieh-po “Max” Lee of Taiwan closed with a 7-under 63 to win the International Series Thailand on the Asian Tour. He was trailing Peter Uihlein by one shot when Lee birdied the 18th and Uihlein took bogey for a 67 to tie for second with Richard T. Lee (62). … Liz Young closed with an even-par 72 and held on for a one-shot victory in the Hero Women’s Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour. … Jack Buchanan rallied with an 8-under 62 for a three-shot victory in the Webex Players Series SA on the PGA Tour of Australasia. … Chisato Iwai closed with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory over twin sister Akie Iwai and Yuri Yoshida in the Hisako Higuchi Mitsubishi Electric Ladies. The Iwai sisters each have three wins this year on the Japan LPGA. … Hansol Ji shot a 2-under 70 for a two-shot victory in the Dukshin EPC Seoul Economic Ladies Classic on the Korea LPGA. … Thomas Gogele of Germany closed with a 5-under 67 and won the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open by three shots on the Legends Tour.

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