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Rumford win second straight European Tour tournament

TIANJIN, China, May 5 (UPI) -- Brett Rumford, who ended a 5 1/2-year winless streak last week, on Sunday won his second European Tour title in eight days by taking the Volvo China Open.

Rumford followed last week's playoff win at the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea with a fourth-stroke win in China for his fifth European Tour title. He is the 31st player to win back-to-back events on the tour and the first since Branden Grace early last year.

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Rumford built on his one-stroke, third-round lead with six birdies over his first 14 holes Sunday and coasted in to a 4-under-par 68 and 72-hole total of 16-under 272.

Mikko Ilonen was second at 12-under after a 1-under 71 Sunday. Victor Dubuisson (68 Sunday) was third at 11-under and Robert-Jan Derksen (69) was fourth, six strokes behind Rumford.

Rumford led Ilonen by one after Ilonen had birdies at Nos. 10 and 11 but the tournament turned on the next three holes. Rumford started a string of three consecutive birdies at 12 -- a sharp chip shot setting up the first birdie and a 45-foot putt creating the second -- while Ilonen had bogeys at 14 and 15 for a five-stroke swing.

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