Ashun Wu won the Volvo China Open for a second time after carding a final-round 65 to triumph by a stroke on Sunday.
Wu's fifth DP World Tour win not only earned him over $400,000 but also ensured he regained his full playing rights just months after losing them for the second time in his career.
The home favorite was four strokes back before play began but made the perfect start to repeating his 2015 success courtesy of a birdie at the first.
Although he dropped a shot at the par-3 fifth, Wu responded with a gain at the eighth prior to a scintillating back-nine at Enhance Anting Golf Club.
Wu - who was playing in the same group as Jordan Smith - trailed the Englishman by two at halfway thanks to a five birdies, a bogey and a double from Smith. Meanwhile, overnight leaders, Haotong Li and Eugenio Chacarra were struggling and were over par for the final round.
Backed by thousands of passionate Chinese fans, Wu set about lighting it up down the closing stretch and made five birdies coming home - at the 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th - to set the clubhouse lead at 14-under-par.
The eventual champion's fellow countryman, Li threatened to make a real run at forcing a playoff via an outstanding eagle at the 17th, but he blew up on the 18th, leaving the 39-year-old to celebrate a return to the winner's circle after three years away.
Reacting to his first victory since the 2022 Magical Kenya Open, Wu called the moment 'very special.' He said: "It is very special, that was 10 years ago when I won the Volvo China Open in Shanghai. To come back to Shanghai and win again, it is a great story.
"It was a great round, I played great golf this week. I am always happy to win your own country's Open, so very, very exciting."
The crucial moment for Wu arrived at the short par-4 17th hole. Tied with Smith, the Englishman hit a horrible drive out to the right and was forced to take a penalty drop while his Chinese counterpart struck into one of many green-side bunkers.
From there, Wu thumped his ball to a matter of feet and tapped in for his final birdie, setting up a two-stroke swing.
Wu heaped praise on Smith, though, before giving the final word to his home city and the fans who came out to support him.
He said: "On the back nine, I felt I had more chances to make birdies and still be patient, keep going and never give up. Five birdies on the back nine I think, so that is wonderful. It was a really, really good game today.
"He (Smith) pushed me to make some birdies on the back nine, I just said to myself to be patient, the chances are coming.
"It's an incredible week, there are incredible fans here and lovely golf course. It's my home, Shanghai, even after a couple of rounds I felt relaxed because I was playing at home. Shanghai has given me luck."
Smith wrapped up second on 13-under, despite a disappointing end to his final round, thanks to a closing 67 with Germany's Yannik Paul in third on 12-under (69).
The Chinese pair of Li and Zecheng Dou shared fourth on 11-under alongside Spain's Chacarra - one shot ahead of Finland's Tapio Pulkkanen.
The DP World Tour stays in China but moves over to Hainan for the Hainan Classic next week.
CHINA OPEN LEADERBOARD
- -14 Ashun Wu (65)
- -13 Jordan Smith (67)
- -12 Yannik Paul (69)
- -11 Zecheng Dou (70)
- -11 Eugenio Chacarra (72)
- -11 Haotong Li (72)
- -10 Tapio Pulkkanen (71)
- -9 Wenyi Ding (68)
- -9 Jacob Skov Olesen (69)
- -8 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (74)
- -8 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (67)
- -8 Brandon Wu (70)
- -8 Marcel Schneider (69)
Updates from...
WELCOME
Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Volvo China Open. The back nine is shaping up incredibly well from the neutral's point of view with six players within a shot of the lead as things stand.
Jordan Smith is currently ahead by one thanks to a superb round of four-under to this point, while the Indian Open champion, Eugenio Chacarra is among a group of five hot on the Englishman's heels.
We're sure to have a thrilling conclusion to the tournament, so stick with us and we'll bring you all of the key moments as they happen at Enhance Anting GC. Thanks for tuning in!
TENSION BUILDING
Following a bogey for Chacarra at the 10th, where the Spaniard made a real mess of the long par-5, there has not been an awful lot of movement among the top players. Smith, Wu and Pulkkanen have all missed outside birdie chances in recent moments.
Haotong Li and Chacarra make up the final group, and the Chinese player may have just found the water off the tee at 13. Very unlucky for some...
HANGING TOUGH
At the back end of the toughest stretch of holes today (13-15), Smith almost drives his tee ball through the fairway and into the water, but it just about holds on in the first cut. Left with a downhill lie, Smith drills a wedge to the back of the 15th green and has a birdie putt from maybe 30-35 feet.
One of his challengers, Tapio Pulkkanen hits a really poor shot into the 14th and will need to get up and down from the sand to avoid dropping out of that big group in second. The first half of his attempt is excellent. 10 feet left for par.
SHOCKER FROM CHACARRA
Chacarra goes from having a birdie opportunity to walking off with a bogey in one fell swoop. The Spaniard hits the middle of the 13th green but leaves himself an awkward par save. He lips out and that's a three-putt bogey. He's now two back.
Another player to be two back is Finland's Pulkkanen. He ran his par chance by the left edge. Could be crucial at this stage.
WU FIRES UP THE CROWD
Moments after Smith taps in for par at the 15th, his playing partner Wu buries a birdie from 25-30 feet to send the crowd into a frenzy. That has launched Wu into a tie for the lead with only three holes of his round left.
Ashun Wu ties the lead!!! 🇨🇳#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/HAPVlOcjXqApril 20, 2025
SO CLOSE YET SO FAR
The two leaders make pretty average attempts at finding the par-3 16th green, both leaving their golf balls on the right edge of the putting surface. Wu almost follows up his heroic putt at the 15th with another monster, but it just comes up short. Smith follows suit with a great try down the hill, but it fails to drop. The Englishman, who has putted well today, is perplexed at that one.
TROUBLE FOR SMITH
Wu could be favorite to reach 14-under after two contrasting drives from the leading duo. The 17th hole is a short par-4 playing 305 yards today with bunkers protecting the front. Wu finds one of them, but it's a pretty good shot as it's certainly possibly to run it up the green close to the flag.
Smith, however, may be hitting again after sending a horrible drive out to the right. It looks as though it's landed in the little bunches of long grass. If someone has found it, then it will be a hack out. If not, Smith will be re-teeing. Either way, it's likely bad news for the Englishman.
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS
The good news is that Jordan Smith's ball has been found. The bad news is that it was unplayable and he'll have to lean on his short game to escape with a par having taken a drop.
Meanwhile, Chacarra has just missed his second short putt in a row to drop another stroke. The Spaniard apparently has a hand/wrist injury which has been causing him trouble since Friday. He really hasn't been himself because of it, understandably.
WU WALKING AWAY WITH IT
That's a beautiful bunker shot from Ashun Wu, leaving himself four feet or so for birdie. He makes it, and the Chinese player who had lost his full playing rights on the DP World Tour last season now has a great chance to win. Two shots clear walking down the last.
However, it looks as though Smith's chances of success are well and truly over. No one in the top-27, currently, has bogeyed the 17th. Smith becomes the first when he hits a fluffy chip short of the green and narrowly fails to chip in. The bogey putt was made to hold a tie for second.
Wu takes a two-shot lead into his last hole 🔥#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/aNqqFb4mLIApril 20, 2025
CONTRASTING STYLES
Wu and Smith are going about the par-5 18th in very different ways, with the Chinese pro opting to lay up and guarantee a par while still hoping for a birdie. On the other side, Smith has taken driver and then 3-wood in the hopes of making an eagle. Wu has a short wedge shot into the green (120 yards) while Smith has a monster putt from the other end of the green incoming - both their third shots.
WU SETS CLUBHOUSE LEAD
Ashun Wu sets the target at 14-under after very much a risk-free par at the 18th. His third shot was clipped to the centre of the green before Wu dribbled his birdie attempt down to the hole side.
Can anyone catch him? We're not far away from finding out as the final group begins the 17th hole.
Smith may have wrapped up second after holing his 10-foot birdie putt. It was a good putt to make, but the Englishman knows there was a sense of irony wrapped up in that one as it came so late after his chance had gone.
The moment Ashun Wu claimed his fifth DP World Tour win and his second Volvo China Open title 🤩🇨🇳#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/Z4XP1rgTSpApril 20, 2025
LI LEAVING IT ALL OUT THERE
Haotong Li needs to finish eagle-eagle to make a shock playoff, and he's set up the first half of that with a near-perfect tee shot at the driveable 17th. Left with 12-15 feet back up the hill with his ball set to slide from right to left, this has to go in for Li to stand any chance.
LI BACK TO WITHIN TWO
Wow - that one was certainly not being left short! Haotong absolutely drills his eagle putt into the hole and gives a big fist pump as the ball disappears. Ashun Wu sits nervously in the scorer's tent, eyes fixed on the TV showing the action.
ALL BUT OVER
The Chinese chaser blasted a drive down the 18th fairway towards the flag, but his cutting approach was on too much of an aggressive line and it bounced right ahead of the green before landing in the mulch.
He's going to have a try, is Haotong, but this looks futile...
ASHUN WU WINS THE VOLVO CHINA OPEN
Haotong Li thwacks his third out of the water to the back of the green and that is that! Ashun Wu cards a stunning final round of 65 - the lowest of the day - to claim his second China Open title following his first in 2015. Amazing for a player who had lost his full playing rights on the DP World Tour just a few months ago...
HEAR FROM THE CHAMPION
Ashun Wu admitted his victory was special for so many reasons, not least because it was in a city he calls home...
"It's very special, it's my home" 🇨🇳Ashun Wu reflects on his fifth DP World Tour title win 🎙️#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/9yL3xADReVApril 20, 2025
