Rory McIlroy remained upbeat today despite suffering his second bout of play-off heartbreak this year as Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang edged him out at Fanling to capture the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The Holywood teenager was pipped by Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin at the European Masters at the start of September only to miss out again today as Lin birdied both play-off holes to claim the title.
It was McIlroy's fifth top-ten finish in his last six events, pushing him past the €1 million mark in earnings on the European Tour and crucially moving him up to 50th in the latest world rankings.
"It was a great week, I'll take all the positives," said McIlroy, who jumped 13 places in the world rankings. "As long as I can keep putting myself in these positions and feeling the nerves and the adrenaline, I'll know I'm doing things right.
"It's been a great week and I can't be too disappointed. That's the way it goes. It puts me in a great position going into the new year and I have two events left in South Africa," added McIlroy.
"If I don't win there, I'll hopefully win sometime next year."
Lin had failed to sink a birdie putt from six feet on the last during regulation to enter a three-way play-off with McIlroy and Francesco Molinari of Italy.
Molinari could only par the first play-off hole on the par-four 18th while Lin produced an extraordinary recovery from the trees to make birdie. McIlroy stitched his approach and the pair headed back down the 18th in the fading light.
McIlroy, 19, sent his tee shot into a crowd of spectators to the left of the fairway but played an audacious recovery to send his approach shot onto the edge of the green.
Lin, meanwhile, hit the fairway from the tee before superbly hitting his second shot to within a foot of the pin and when McIlroy failed to putt for a birdie, the 34-year-old applied the easy finish to become the first Asian in a decade to win the tournament.
"To hit two birdies in a play-off, you can't beat that," said McIlroy, who pocketed a cheque for €170,610.
Lin, who moves up to 51st in the world rankings, admitted he was unable to put into words exactly how much his first European Tour victory meant, with the win earning him almost €327,383.
"I'm still smiling," he said. "This is my first European Tour win and my feelings cannot be described. With this win I can re-assure myself that what I am doing is right."
Lin had started the final round a stroke behind overnight leader Oliver Wilson but a three-under-par 67 today meant he finished at 15-under for the tournament. McIlroy and Molinari both shot 65s to make the play-off.
Pablo Larrazabal, the 2008 European Tour Rookie of the Year, shot a three-under-par 67 to finish in a share of fourth place alongside Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand, who carded 65.
There was heartache for Wilson once again, however, as the 28-year-old hit three successive bogeys from the 15th to drop to 12-under for the tournament and leave him still searching for a maiden European Tour victory.
The Englishman tied for sixth alongside German veteran Bernhard Langer, Malaysian Iain Steel, David Gleeson of Australia and South African Richard Sterne.
Graeme McDowell and Oliver Fisher were amongst a group of four a further stroke behind, while Colin Montgomerie's challenge faded as the round wore on and the Scot finished tied 15th at 10-under.
Gareth Maybin closed with a three-under 67 to finish on seven-under and a share of 24th place, while Paul McGinley ended the week on two-under after carding a 71 in the final round.
SCOREBOARD
(Ireland and Britain unless stated, par 70)
265Wen-Tang Lin (Tai) 65 69 64 67, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 66 67 67 65,
Rory McIlroy 70 64 66 65. (Wen-Tang Lin won at the second play-off hole)
267Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 66 66 70 65, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 69 67 64 67
268Bernhard Langer (Ger) 69 67 63 69, David Gleeson (Aus) 72 65 65 66, Oliver Wilson 66 66 65 71, Iain Steel (Mal) 68 68 66 66, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 64 69 69 66
269Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 63 66 69,
Graeme McDowell 71 68 65 65, Angelo Que (Phi) 68 68 67 66, Oliver Fisher 67 65 73 64
270Colin Montgomerie 68 65 68 69, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 64 71 69 66
271John Daly (USA) 68 68 73 62, Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 70 69 64 68
272Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor) 70 67 66 69, Bradley Dredge 69 70 65 68, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 71 68 66 67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70 70 66 66, Johan Edfors (Swe) 68 65 73 66
273Peter Hanson (Swe) 67 70 69 67,
Gareth Maybin 71 67 68 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 69 71 62, Ben Leong (Mal) 69 70 65 69, David Frost (Rsa) 69 68 67 69
274Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 71 69 68 66, Taichiro Kiyota (Jpn) 72 67 70 65, Paul Lawrie 69 70 69 66, David Lynn 71 67 65 71, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 71 69 70 64
275Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 69 66 68 72, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 70 70 66 69, Darren Beck (Aus) 68 69 69 69, Paul Waring 72 68 66 69, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 62 73 70, Mark Brown (USA) 70 70 66 69, Gavin Flint (Aus) 68 70 69 68, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 66 70 72
276Tony Carolan (Aus) 70 67 72 67, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 67 72 67 70, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 70 66 70 70, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68 71 68, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 70 67 67 72, Sattaya Supupramai (Tha) 71 69 70 66
277Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 69 70 68 70, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 71 69 67 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 68 70 71, Taco Remkes (Ned) 69 70 69 69, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 70 67 73 67
278Ter-Chang Wang (Tpe) 66 71 69 72, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 65 72 72 69, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 68 70 69, Zaw Moe (Kor) 72 68 70 68, David Horsey 70 70 71 67, Jean Van de velde (Fra) 73 67 70 68, Jamie Donaldson 75 63 72 68, Unho Park (Aus) 71 68 67 72,
Paul McGinley 71 69 67 71, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 68 69 71 70
279Anthony Wall 72 68 72 67, Artemio-hiromasa Murakami (Phi) 67 70 72 70, Phillip Archer 72 67 71 69, Scott Strange (Aus) 71 68 71 69, Chinarat Phadungsil (Tha) 67 71 70 71, David Bransdon (Aus) 70 68 70 71, Martin Rominger (Swi) 71 66 68 74
280Anthony Kang (USA) 70 70 67 73, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 69 68 74 69, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 70 70 70 70, David Dixon 68 69 72 71, Joong Kyung Mo (Kor) 69 71 71 69
281Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 70 70 74 67, Shun yat jason Hak (Hkg) 70 70 73 68
282Marcus Both (Aus) 68 72 73 69, Wook-Soon Kang (Kor) 69 69 69 75, Jong Yul Suk (Kor) 70 69 74 69
283Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 69 71 72
284Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 69 71 73
288Scott Drummond 68 70 76 74
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