Despite a bogey on the 16th on Sunday, JC Ritchie carded a final-round four-under-par 68 to take a share of sixth in the Challenge Tour’s Hainan Open at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club on Hainan Island, China.
Ritchie had made an eagle and three birdies up until that point, and his closing round saw him finish on 16-under-par for the tournament.
That left him just three shots out of the play-off, which was won by Denmark’s Hamish Brown on the first extra hole against Lloyd Jefferson Go of the Philippines after they both finished on 19-under in regulation. Finland’s Oliver Lindell was third on 18-under, and England’s Ben Schmidt and Swede Bjorn Akesson shared fourth on 17-under. Ritchie shared sixth with Gregorio De Leo of Italy.
Ritchie’s performance will see him climb to 45th in the Road to Mallorca rankings with one tournament ahead of the Challenge Tour Grand Final on the island on October 31. With one more tournament before the final event, Ritchie is currently assured of a place in the final which takes the top 45 players on the rankings, but he needs to nail that spot down next week in the Hangzhou Open, also in China.
And once he’s done that, he needs a strong finish in Mallorca to try and get into the top 20, as those players will earn promotion to the DP World Tour.
Wilco Nienaber finished three strokes behind Ritchie in a share of 11th on 13-under, and he climbs three places to 22nd on the Road to Mallorca rankings.
Deon Germishuys is projected to stay in 13th place on the rankings after he closed with a two-over-par 74 to finish on eight-over in a share of 28th.
