GOLF:DAVID HORSEY overcame Rhys Davies and Jaco Van Zyl in a three-man play-off to win the Hassan Trophy in Agadir, Morocco, yesterday and claim his second European Tour title.
Defending champion Davies and Horsey, who had a hole in one at the second, exchanged blows all day. With one to play, Horsey was one ahead of his former Walker Cup team-mate and two clear of South Africa’s Van Zyl, but took five from the middle of the fairway and six in total.
The Englishman’s double bogey left Davies a four-foot putt for the win, but the Welshman, recognised as one of the tour’s finest putters, ran the effort two feet past the hole. That also allowed Van Zyl into a play-off with his par.
However, Horsey, who headed into the final round as joint leader along with Davies, emerged strongest on the second hole of the play-off to follow up his victory at last year’s BMW Open and move into the top 80 of the official world rankings.
“I couldn’t believe Rhys missed that putt to win, to be honest,” said Horsey. “If we had been playing match play I would have given him that putt because he is one of the best putters in the world.
“I’m relieved more than anything. I made hard work of that coming down the last,” added the 25-year-old .
Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn signed for a course-record 62 to finish on six-under 281.
“I played well – even with a bogey and a three-putt,” said the former Ryder Cup player.
Peter Lawrie and Michael Hoey finished best of the Irish contingent, the pair closing on five under for a share of 19th spot and a cheque for €16,320 each.
Hoey carded four birdies and one bogey in a closing round of three-under-par 69, while Dubliner Lawrie traded off four birdies against two bogeys before signing for a 70.
Damien McGrane also fired a closing 70 to finish on two over, with Paul McGinley a shot further back after his second successive 74.
Darren Clarke closed with a quadruple-bogey eight on the 18th in a round of 75 that also included two double bogeys, one bogey and six birdies. It left him on seven over and completed a miserable weekend after he carded an 81 on Saturday.
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ZUZANA KAMASOVA became the first Slovakian women to win a Ladies’ European Tour title as the 32-year-old claimed a two-shot victory at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco after a final-round 76 left her on two under. Ireland’s Martina Gillen closed with a 75 to finish on nine over.
Leading scores
TROPHEE HASSAN II, Agadir, Morocco (Irish in bold and Brit unless stated, par 72 and 71): Leading Scores: 274 - David Horsey 67 71 67 69 (David won on the second play-off hole ), Rhys Davies 67 70 68 69, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 68 73 65 68.
276 - George Coetzee (Rsa) 67 71 69 69 277 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 71 68 71 67, Oscar Floren (Swe) 67 74 68 68.
