The South African overcame a two-shot deficit at the start of the round to lead for much of the day and close out his second Legends Tour victory on the circuit’s first visit to mainland China, with David Drysdale, Matt Cort and Emanuele Canonica finishing in a tie for 2nd.
A front nine of 33 that included four birdies for Horne, coupled with four bogeys on the outward half for overnight leader Simon Griffiths, allowed the nine-time Sunshine Tour winner to hit the front. Horne led going into the final round of the OFX Irish Legends in May, only to finish tied-2nd behind compatriot James Kingston, who triumphed with five birdies in the last six holes. But he wasn’t to be denied at Reignwood Pine Valley as red numbers at the two par-fives on the back nine – the 13th and 16th – gave him a two-shot cushion standing on the tee of the par-four 18th.
There have been plenty of double bogeys and worse on the tricky finishing hole this week, and the result was still in doubt when his drive found the fairway bunker. He sensibly chose to lay-up short of the lake that protects the front of the green, and his third shot found the heart of the putting surface. Horne lagged his par putt just inches from the hole, allowing him the simplest of tap-ins to claim the trophy in front of hundreds of cheering Chinese fans.
“It feels fantastic,” said the champion. “I realised the course suited me, so I just stuck to my guns and had a mission. I was leading in Ireland and I got caught up too much watching the guys I was playing with, and James came through at the end, so I was very wary of that. I certainly didn’t take my foot off the pedal, because I had no idea what everybody was doing behind me, and it’s the kind of golf course where if you do get going, you can go quite low. I had a goal to get to -14 and I just tried to focus on that.
“I drove the ball well the whole week, and I continued to drive it well today. I was never really in trouble. The greens were relatively receptive, so when you’re going in with short irons the whole time, you have to make mistakes to make bogeys. The par-fives were all reachable for me, so I was patient and tried to pick up birdies when I could and take advantage of the par-fives.
“The crowds have been fantastic and really enthusiastic all week. They really enjoyed us being here. They’ve been vocal and extremely friendly, and it’s been a pleasure to play in front of them.
“All of my supporters and family back home have been amazing. Their support has been invaluable. It means a lot to me, and it certainly inspires me.”
Horne got his maiden Legends Tour victory in Zambia last year on the way to finishing sixth on the Order of Merit, and his second title boosts him to fourth on this season’s points list. As well as this title and his runner-up finish at Mount Juliet, he has also been tied-9th at the Staysure Marbella Legends and the Barbados Legends hosted by Ian Woosnam.
Drysdale emerged as Horne’s main rival as he started with four birdies in a row and picked up another at the 7th. A bogey on the 11th halted his momentum, followed by a birdie at 13 and a bogey at 14. Another pick-up at the par-five 16th gave him hope of taking the title, but a couple of closing pars saw him shoot 67 and come up one shot shy of a play-off on -11.
Q School graduate Cort had a fast finish with an eagle at the 13th and birdies at the 15th and 18th to force his way into the tie for 2nd. In total, he had one eagle, six birdies and three bogeys in a 67. It’s a result that thrusts him firmly into the early conversation for the Barry Lane Rookie of the Year award.
Canonica had four birdies and two dropped shots in his first 12 holes, but back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15 looked like finishing his week on a sour note. However, the DP World Tour winner hit back with brilliant birdies at his final three holes to end his tournament on a high.
Drysdale, Cort and Canonica have jumped to 10th, 11th and 13th on the Order of Merit, respectively. Van Phillips finished alone in 5th on -9. Last year’s WINSTONgolf Senior Open winner had four birdies and a double bogey in his 70. Maarten Lafeber shot a best-of-the-day 66 that included an eagle on 8 and no dropped shots to get into a tie for 6th at -7 alongside former Open champion Paul Lawrie and Thai star Thongchai Jaidee.
Griffiths played his back nine in level par with birdies at 10 and 13 and bogeys at 11 and 18 to sign for a 76. He and Greig Hutcheon, who had a 73, were tied-9th on -6.
Order of Merit number one Scott Hend and Q School winner Shinichi Yokota endured costly finishes to slip outside the top-10. Hend got into the hunt with a front nine of just 31 strokes, but two bogeys and a triple bogey on 17 saw him home in 41 for a 71. Playing in the final group, Yokota found the water on 18 on his way to a triple bogey and a 75. The pair were tied-11th on -5.
Visit the homepage to see the final leaderboard and updated Order of Merit, and for more information about the Reignwood Legends Championship at Reignwood Pine Valley, Beijing, China. The Legends Tour now heads to the Swiss Seniors Open at Golf Club Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, from July 11th-13th.
Reignwood Legends Champion Interview
