International Series Vietnam: Kieran Vincent adds to family’s collection with impressive win
- Zimbabwean follows in brother Scott’s footsteps, securing Vietnam title with closing six-under 66 at KN Golf Links
- Birdie at the last separates Vincent from chasing pack with Kevin Yuan and Anirban Lahiri falling just short
The Vincent brothers are quickly making a name for themselves on the Asian Tour, and Kieran added a second International Series title to the family’s collection with an inspired performance in Vietnam on Sunday.
Having watched brother Scott win the series event in England last year and then top the order of merit to earn a place on the LIV Golf circuit for this season, this was all about the younger sibling.
Vincent came from four shots back to overhaul overnight leader Takumi Kanaya, carding a six-under 66 to finish on 19-under overall, a shot ahead of Kevin Yuan and a hard charging Anirban Lahiri.
Kanaya began the day with a three-shot lead, but his bid to win a second series event this season, after his triumph in Oman, disappeared with two bogeys on the back nine and his 73 left him in a six-way tie for fourth on 16 under.
Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung had another solid day, and his three-under 69 left him in a three-way tie for 10th on 15 under. And but for several putts that stopped just short, the Hongkonger would have been in contention.
On a day when the lead changed hands several times, Vincent only sealed his victory on the final hole, draining a testing 15-footer on a green that had only given up 15 birdies all day.
Minutes earlier, Lahiri, who carded an eight-under 64, had missed from a similar distance and moments later Yuan’s birdie effort from slightly closer grazed the left edge of the cup, ending a tournament that for at least an hour had looked like going to a play-off.
“It is surreal right now,” Vincent said. “I feel like I am a lead singer in a band of people that have done so much for me. I am very appreciative. I don’t think it is going to sink in for a while.”
Kieran Vincent was referring to his brother, who supported him last year as he was trying to make his way as a newcomer to the Tour.
The pair have spoken only sparingly this week, with Scott travelling to Adelaide for this week’s LIV Golf tournament.
“I honestly don’t think I would be at this point where I am without him [Scott],” Vincent said. “He helped me out a lot just to be on this stage, so I am very very thankful to him and the rest of my family.
“At the beginning of this week I was just looking at myself saying I just want to keep my card and so I think I have been able to do that.”
Cheung meanwhile is also trying to make sure he keeps his card, and the Tour rookie did his bid no harm with a bogey-free round at KN Golf Links.
Those players who came through Q-school in January will be re-ranked this week, and an impressive showing here will ensure the Hongkonger gets more tournaments as the year goes on.
“I’m really happy with how I played, it’s nice to see some good scores going up when I know my game is in a good spot,” Cheung said. “It’s coming together, so it’s really nice to see and gives me a lot of confidence for whatever tournaments I have coming up.”
While the Tour heads to Korea, the nature of those events, which are co-sanctioned with the local governing body, means Cheung was never likely to be involved.
Instead he plans to head to Thailand in two weeks to play on the Mena Tour’s Royal Hua Hin Thailand Championship.
“I’m playing good and I just feel like I need to just keep playing, I don’t feel like practising will help me that much,” Cheung said.
“I felt like I could have potentially got to the top of the leader board if some of those putts had dropped, but it is what it is.”
