Shinkwin surges into DP World Tour Rankings top 30 with Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale triumph

Callum Shinkwin has burst into the all-important top 50 of the DP World Tour Rankings in partnership with Rolex after his runaway victory at the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale.

The 29-year-old Englishman claimed his second DP World Tour title after closing with a 70 to finish 12 under par at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales and win by four from fast finishing Scotsman Connor Syme (68).

It saw Shinkwin bank 460 points to ascend 65 places to 28th in the season-long standings – comfortably inside the top 50 who qualify for the DP World Tour Championship, the final Rolex Series event of the year, at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 17-20.

Shinkwin, who secured his maiden DP Word Tour victory at the Cyprus Open in 2020, started Sunday’s final round one stroke clear of Frenchman Julien Guerrier who eventually settled for a five-way share of third on five under par.

While there were leaderboard swings early on and a little late tension provided by Syme, Shinkwin never relinquished his lead, sealing the deal with a gritty par save on the penultimate hole to go down the last with a three stroke buffer.

“I feel great, even though I had a few shots of a lead heading into the back nine it’s still not easy, especially when Connor then made a charge,” said Shinkwin. “There was a lot of pressure still and even down the last, it’s not an easy hole, a lot of people have made a high number there even if they’ve hit the fairway. It’s still one of those ones you have to commit to with your shots.

“There were no crowds in Cyprus (due to covid restrictions) and I was behind going into the final round then shot a great score and won in the play-off

“Here I was in the lead heading into the final round and obviously it went very tight, then a big gap, then tight-ish again. It’s different this time.

“Connor didn’t really come into it until he eagled 11, he was four under at the time, then he didn’t do anything straight after that. But then he birdied 15, 16 and 17 and the 17th was the big one for me, holing that par putt to guarantee a three-shot lead going down the last.”

Shinkwin’s move up to 28th was the only upward surge in the top 30 of the DP World Tour Rankings with Rory McIlroy, Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick holding the top three spots in an unchanged top ten.

Syme jumped 34 spots to 32nd while Guerrier is up to 58th, a climb of 31 spots. Among the four other players tied third at Celtic Manor alongside Guerrier, Englishman Andy Sullivan made the most eye-catching move, up 43 spots to 109th in the Rankings.

Scotsman Ewan Ferguson, tied 12th in Wales, is up two spots to 34th.

The DP World Tour rolls on to the US$1.5 million ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics this week in Northern Ireland. The August 11-14 event at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Country Antrim is tri-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour.

 

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