Shot Clock Masters: Korhonen picks up first win in inaugural event

The Shot Clock Masters event proved to be a huge success in its first year on the European Tour, and Mikko Korhonen came out on top at Diamond Country Club.

The European Tour’s been heading to Diamond Country Club for years, but the fine folks near Vienna, Austria, had the privilege of taking in professional golf under a different scope: the Shot Clock Masters.

In rounds that finished dozens of minutes faster than normal, Finland’s Mikko Korhonen help up the best in the lightning rounds, carding a 16-under 272 to cruise to a six-shot victory.

This was the 37-year-old’s first European Tour win in 146 starts. After making 12 different trips to qualifying school in his days as a pro, Sunday was a long time coming.

"“It feels great, beautiful. It’s been a long wait so it feels so good. Yes, I have thought that I might not be in this position,” Korhonen said. “I’ve been up there a couple of times and couldn’t do it at those times but now I’m so happy and relieved that I have done it.“It’s not easy to win, especially not the first win, so I’m really happy to have done it. I have no words, it’s so good.”"

Korhonen was in control much of the weekend. He entered Sunday with a five-shot lead.

While it was whittled down to three early in the round, no would-be comebacks, nor a pair of weather delays could stop Korhonen.

He shot rounds of 68-67-68-69 and was bogey-free through 62 holes. He didn’t incur any slow play penalties; but who needs all that time when you’re playing well?

Only Jeunghun Wang (66 holes) went bogey-less longer in a European Tour event this season.

Scotland’s Connor Syme was the closest contender, finishing solo second at 10-under thanks to a long birdie putt at the par-3 18th on Sunday.

It was an important payday for Syme who has made just three cuts in 12 starts as a rookie.

Shot Clock Masters: Players ahead of the clock – mostly

Four penalties were assessed for failure to adhere to the shot clock. I recommend reading my primer below on the new format, but in short, players receive 40 or 50 seconds to play their next shot, depending on their turn in the group and what type of shot is being played.

Related Story: Shot Clock Masters: A primer on the European Tour's inaugural event

Players were granted two time extensions per round, but a slow time or failure to ask for an extension resulted in a one-shot penalty.

Clemens Prader was four seconds over his allotted time on a putt in round three to earn the distinction of first victim.

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It didn’t end up costing Prader a position on the leaderboard, but a slow time on his approach shot on Saturday went on to be the difference between a T19 and T23.

Prader was a good sport about it, and even used his initial disappointment to his advantage.

"“I was a little angry,” Prader was quoted by the BBC It got me so heated that I actually holed a bunker shot on the next hole, which was OK, it kind of reversed it.”"

On Sunday, Markus Brier was slow on his approach by a measly second at the seventh (he went on to finish dead last either way). A slow approach putt on the fourth green for Oscar Stark made the difference between a T35 and T38.

The format shaved roughly 45 minutes off of average round times for the opening days’ threesomes.

On the whole, the Shot Clock Masters drew rave reviews.

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Shot Clock Masters: Chip shots

• The new, unique format did a lot to attract eyeballs in the way the tournament field could not. Given the Shot Clock Masters’ (previously known as the Lyoness Open), spot on the schedule prior to next week’s U.S. Open, there were no world top-50 players in the field.
• Matthias Schwab led the Austrian contingent at the Shot Clock Masters, finishing T12 (-7) in front of his home fans.
• Spain’s Scott Fernandez fired a seven-under 65 on Sunday to vault 36 spots up the leaderboard to a tie for seventh, a career best.
  • Australia’s Dimitrios Papadatos carded a 65 on Friday to share low round of the tournament.
• Mikko Korhonen posted an impressive stat run: 73.2 percent driving accuracy (fourth in the field), 313.8 yards off the tee (19th), 79.2 GIR (3rd), 28.3 putts per round (17th) and 100 percent sand saves (1st).
• At 54 years old, Miguel Angel Jimenez can still stripe it. “The Mechanic” recorded his fourth top-20 in as many starts on the European Tour this season with a T12.
• The European Tour is off next week. Action returns June 21-24 at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof in Pulheim, Germany, for the BMW International Open. Tournament commitments include Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood and Martin Kaymer.