Irish Golf Desk

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Moynihan falls back in China

Oliver Farr from Wales with the winner's trophy at Foshan Golf Club, Nanhai, Guangdong Province, China. Credit: Richard Castka/Sportpixgolf.com.

Gavin Moynihan finished poorly in the Foshan Open and slipped three places to 26th in the Road to Oman rankings.

Tied for 12th entering the final round, the Dubliner was one-over for the day with five holes to go but followed a bogey at the 14th with three successive bogeys to finish at Foshan Golf Club.

A five-over 77 left him tied for 38th on level par, and having earned just €2,693, he now find himself €13,530 behind 15th ranked Richard McEvoy with just two events to go in the race for 15 European Tour cards.

Welsman Oliver Farr claimed his second European Challenge Tour title and a return to the European Tour with a five-shot victory.

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A 2014 graduate, the 29-year old is assured of a place on the European Tour next season after surpassing 120,000 points with his triumph in China.

Ranked 50th on the Road to Oman just six weeks ago, Farr admitted he is still processing the remarkable turnaround which has now taken him up to fourth place.

“It is a massive win,” he said after closing with a 69 to finish on 18-under par.

“If you’re playing in this event you start the week knowing that if you win you will be close to getting a European Tour card. That brings a little bit of added pressure to the event but that’s what also makes it such a big tournament.

“It still hasn’t set in yet but it’s a fantastic achievement to win one of the biggest Challenge Tour events.

“I wasn’t in a good frame of mind six weeks ago if I am honest. I was questioning myself and was lacking in belief but it feels great to have been able to have turned everything around.

“I am not 100% sure how I have turned everything around but I know I am playing the best golf I have ever played. That is a great feeling to have and I hope it continues.

“I played on the European Tour in 2015 after qualifying from here so it is a fantastic feeling to know that I can progress from the Challenge Tour again."

Joining Farr on the European Tour next season will be Farr's roommate in China, Ryan Evans, whose share of third took him past 115,000 points this season.

After such a successful week staying with Evans, Farr admits that the pair could make it a regular occurrence on the European Tour next season.

“We briefly discussed it at the end of our rounds,” he said. “We roomed together during the Rolex Trophy, and we did okay there, and we will try and do it again in the future.

“We are good friends, and we both push each other on and with two more weeks together in Dubai and Oman hopefully we can keep this form up and be in the last group together again over the next two weeks.”

Foshan Open, Foshan Golf Club (Par 72)

Detailed scores

270 O Farr (Wal) 69 66 66 69, 

275 S Heisele (Ger) 67 70 69 69, 

276 R Evans (Eng) 70 70 66 70, D Huizing (Ned) 66 70 72 68, 

278 C Tarren (Eng) 65 71 70 72, 

279 R Cho (Kor) 70 71 68 70, Z Hui-Lin (Chn) 68 64 76 71, 

280 S Fernandez (Esp) 72 67 68 73, J Guerrier (Fra) 71 70 71 68, B Neil (Sco) 70 69 69 72, 

281 R McEvoy (Eng) 71 71 69 70, A Saddier (Fra) 68 70 74 69, S Brown (Eng) 70 71 71 69, 

282 J Dantorp (Swe) 69 68 75 70, M Schwab (Aut) 68 70 74 70, N Cullen (Aus) 66 74 71 71, 

283 V Perez (Fra) 74 68 73 68, C Sordet (Fra) 70 72 66 75, M Lundberg (Swe) 66 74 74 69, 

284 C Blomstrand (Swe) 71 69 71 73, P Oriol (Esp) 69 67 78 70, C Koepka (USA) 70 70 71 73, C Mivis (Bel) 69 74 71 70, M Fenasse (Fra) 69 72 73 70, 

285 M Antcliff (Aus) 69 70 72 74, 

286 T Pulkkanen (Fin) 74 70 72 70, J Geary (Nzl) 72 71 74 69, J Winther (Den) 71 69 69 77, J Hansen (Den) 71 69 73 73, C Braeunig (Ger) 71 71 71 73, C Ford (Eng) 73 69 72 72, L Gagli (Ita) 71 68 76 71, 

287 M Ovesen (Den) 75 70 69 73, S Forsström (Swe) 74 67 72 74, B Virto (Esp) 69 73 70 75, R Saxton (Ned) 70 73 72 72, C Zi-Hao (Chn) 70 71 74 72, 

288 Gavin Moynihan (Irl) 72 72 67 77, G Porteous (Eng) 72 72 74 70, E Van Rooyen (RSA) 72 70 70 76, 

289 R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 69 75 74 71, M Kinhult (Swe) 72 72 72 73, 

290 P Howard (Eng) 67 71 77 75, T Sato (Jpn) 69 76 72 73, D Foos (Ger) 72 71 75 72, H Wen-Yi (Chn) 75 70 73 72, 

291 D Lee (Kor) 76 69 72 74, B Macpherson (Aus) 71 73 75 72, 

292 G Forrest (Sco) 72 69 75 76, W Hongfu (Chn) 70 75 71 76, 

293 M Perry (Nzl) 72 73 74 74, J Heath (Eng) 67 72 79 75, 

294 M Madsen (Den) 72 71 72 79, J Arnoy (Nor) 74 71 74 75, T Murray (Eng) 72 73 76 73, 

295 A Pavan (Ita) 71 72 73 79, Y Tian (Chn) 71 73 77 74, 

297 J Senior (Eng) 74 71 77 75, 

298 T Rongjian (Chn) 70 72 77 79, Y Jian-Feng (Chn) 73 70 76 79, 

299 J Doherty (Sco) 74 71 74 80, M Webb (Eng) 74 71 74 80, 

300 O Lindell (Fin) 73 71 76 80, 

307 Y Yi-Nong (Chn) 71 73 81 82, 

** Z Jin (Chn) 70 73 WD.