Alexander Levy wins Volvo China Open
Alexander Levy wins Volvo China Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Alexander Levy of France fired a final round of 69 to win the Volvo China Open at Genzon Golf Club by a single shot from England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

Alexander Levy of France fired a final round of 69 to win the Volvo China Open at Genzon Golf Club by a single shot from England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

Levy began the final round with a three-stroke lead, and for most of Sunday’s play he appeared to be cruising to victory. But a double-bogey at the 15th hole opened the door for his nearest pursuers.

But the Frenchman took the blip in his stride and birdied the 17th and 18th holes to make sure he became the 20th different winner in the 20th edition of the Volvo China Open. At the age of 23, it’s his first European Tour title.

“I hit one of my best shots on 17. I didn’t feel pressure on the golf course because I’m confident,” he said. “I just played my golf and focused on the target. I saw Tommy made a birdie on the 17th but I like the pressure.”

Fleetwood came out of the blocks fast with birdies at his first three holes. He made another birdie at the 9th but then stumbled at the 13th, driving into a hazard and making a bogey. The Englishman birdied the 17th to get to 16-under-par but then three-putted the last to end the week on 273, 15-under-par.

Alvaro Quiros finished alone in third and, although it was his best European Tour finish since 2011, he will be disappointed with his closing round of 72.

England’s Danny Willett won a Volvo V40 Cross Country Car for scoring a hole-in-one at the 12th.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “I’m looking forward to taking it for a spin.”

Volvo China Open Genzon GC, Shenzhen, China Apr 24-27, purse €2,320,000, par 72

1    Alexander Levy (Fra)    68    62    70    69    269    €389,151 2    Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) 70    68    67    68    273    €259,434 3    Alvaro Quiros (Esp)    67    68    68    72    275    €146,166 4    Francesco Molinari (Ita)    70    70    69    67    276    €116,746 T5    Anders Hansen (Den)    73    68    73    63    277    €83,950 T5    Ian Poulter (Eng)        69    74    67    67    277    €83,950 T5    Henrik Stenson (Swe)    71    70    71    65    277    €83,950 T8    Rafa Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 70    70    71    67    278    €48,099 T8    Simon Dyson (Eng)    67    71    69    71    278    €48,099 T8    Michael Hoey (NIR)    69    72    69    68    278    €48,099 T8    Mikko Ilonen (Fin)    69    68    67    74    278    €48,099 T8    Andy Sullivan (Eng)    71    68    69    70    278    €48,099

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?