Wang wins three-way Qatar Masters play-off

   
Jeunghan Wang (South Korea) won the Qatar Masters today after a three-way play-off featuring also Joakim Lagergren (Sweden) and Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa), the three of them finishing on 16-under-par 272.
Wang's final round of 71 allowed Lagergren (66) and Van Zyl (68) to make up the leeway but the young South Korean found his "A" game again in time to win the play-off.
Wang had a chance to win in regulation but left his birdie putt two inches from the hole at the 72nd.

 

The miss meant a return to the 18th hole along with Van Zyl and Lagergren. Wang took the $417,000 first place cheque with a birdie to pars from Lagergren and Van Zyl. Both were looking for their first European Tour win.

Lagergren and Van Zyl earned $217,000 each, although Van Zyl will feel the more aggrieved. He missed a six-foot birdie putt that would have extended the play-off.
Wang was named the 2016 European Tour’s rookie of the year thanks to back-to-back victories in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and Trophée Hassan II. They are low key events compared to the middle leg of the Tour’s Desert Swing.

The South Korean began the day with a three-shot lead but was caught on the back nine before regaining the top spot on his own with a birdie on the 16th. A bogey on the next dropped him back into a share of the lead, with Lagergren safely in the clubhouse on 16 under par following a round of 66. 

Wang then left his birdie chance agonisingly short on the last hole to miss out on victory in regulation play, a par concluding his round of 71, and Van Zyl then made it a three-way play-off by rolling in his par putt for a round of 68. 

On the first extra hole it was Van Zyl who experienced heartache when his birdie putt lipped out, and with Lagergren only able to make par, Wang got up and down from the back of the green to become the youngest winner in the tournament’s 20 year history at just 21 years and 144 days. 

It was Wang’s third European Tour victory in just 29 appearances, with only Matteo Manassero (19 years and 206 days) and Seve Ballesteros (20 years and 77 days) achieving that haul of titles at a younger age.
The 2016 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, who won the Trophée Hassan II - also after a play-off - and the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open last year, also joins 2009 US PGA Champion Y E Yang as the most prolific South Korean winner on the European Tour. 

France’s Mike Lorenzo Vera just missed out on joining the trio in the play-off after a dramatic finish to his final round. Having reached 16 under par with his seventh birdie of the day on the 13th hole, he found the water on the 15th and dropped his first shot of the day before chipping in for eagled on the 16th. However, he then dropped another shot on the 17th before entering the water hazard again on the last hole and making another bogey, to sign for a round of 66 and finish on 15 under par, one shot outside the play-off.   

South African Thomas Aiken also missed out by a single stroke following his only bogey of the day on the 17th hole in a round of 68. European Ryder Cup star Rafa Cabrera Bello closed with a round of 68 to share sixth position with fellow Spaniard Nacho Elvira (70) and England’s Jordan Smith (66). 
Player quotes
Jeunghun Wang: “I really didn't expect that I would win this week. I just keep trying to make birdies, trying to save par and finally won this week. I've got a lot of confidence from this week, and I learned from the other players about the course. And so I feel really good right now and just want to win another one.”
“I was really nervous. It's really long day for me. I missed a lot of greens on the back nine. But my chipping was really good, so I saved every par. So I think that's the key that I won this week.”

Jaco Van Zyl: “I had a good start which was really important. I had an unfortunate three putt on six which kind of put a damper on things a little bit. I just lingered along until I made a nice one on 13. Just unfortunately I hit a couple of good putts that just didn't go in. The back nine was playing really tough. The wind came up and it was really challenging. It's a good start to the season though, and a little bit more fireworks, so hopefully it continues.”

Joakim Lagergren: “I can't complain about the second place, but there is obviously a lot of disappointment right now. I played really well today. I would have taken six under before the day, definitely. I played well, but lost in a play-off. I knew before we went to the tee box  in the play-off, you need to make birdie here to win it. I was hitting four iron down in that bunker, so it's a tough shot from there.”

Complete final scores

par 288 (4x72)

272 J Wang (SKor) 69 67 65 71, J Van Zyl (SAf) 67 69 68 68, J Lagergren (Swe) 67 72 67 66 (Wang won play-off)
273 M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 69 69 69 66, T Aiken (SAf) 68 68 69 68
274 R Cabrera Bello (Spn) 70 70 66 68, J Smith (Eng) 71 66 71 66, N Elvira  (Spn) 67 69 68 70
275 N Kimsey (Eng) 66 74 66 69, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 66 70 70 69
276 C Wood  (Eng) 69 70 70 67, L Bjerregaard  (Den) 69 68 73 66
277 C Paisley  (Eng) 74 67 69 67, J Campillo (Spn) 69 67 75 66, D Lingmerth (Swe) 71 69 70 67, E Els (SAf) 68 70 71 68, A Karlsson  (Swe) 68 73 69 67
278 S Walker (Eng) 68 71 71 68, P Hanson (Swe) 70 70 73 65, C Hanson (Eng) 68 69 73 68
279 G Storm  (Eng) 68 70 72 69, P Edberg (Swe) 70 72 69 68, J Luiten (Ned) 71 70 71 67, B Dredge (Wal) 64 72 73 70, A Noren  (Swe) 68 70 71 70, P Dunne (Ire) 67 70 70 72, A Wall (Eng) 68 69 71 71
280 A Sullivan (Eng) 68 68 70 74, T Detry  (Bel) 67 74 70 69, P Peterson (USA) 71 70 75 64, D Im (USA) 68 69 74 69, A Knappe (Ger) 67 72 71 70, G McDowell  (NIr) 66 75 70 69, A Björk (Swe) 69 69 75 67, N Colsaerts  (Bel) 70 69 72 69, R Karlsson (Swe) 70 70 70 70
281 R Ramsay  (Sco) 68 74 69 70, B Wiesberger  (Aut) 70 72 71 68, D Drysdale (Sco) 71 71 70 69, R Langasque  (Fra) 70 70 67 74
282 D Lipsky (USA) 72 66 75 69, J Stalter (Fra) 69 71 73 69, D Perrier (Fra) 72 70 72 68, M Korhonen (Fin) 65 71 72 74, D Burmester (SAf) 70 71 71 70, O Fisher  (Eng) 70 70 68 74, F Aguilar (Chi) 70 68 75 69
283 D Frittelli (RSA) 71 67 76 69, P Larrazábal (Spn) 69 71 71 72, N Bertasio (Ita) 71 69 68 75, T Bjørn (Den) 68 72 75 68, M Kaymer (Ger) 70 72 68 73, J Carlsson (Swe) 71 69 72 71, R Karlberg  (Swe) 69 73 70 71
284 R Bland (Eng) 70 71 72 71, S Gros (Fra) 72 69 72 71
285 A Levy (Fra) 69 69 75 72, T Olesen (Den) 70 71 76 68, G Havret  (Fra) 69 71 70 75
286 M Warren (Sco) 69 73 73 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 67 71 73 75, S Lee (SKor) 69 73 72 72, S Hend (Aus) 69 72 72 73
287 R Fox (NZ) 72 70 67 78
288 B Hebert  (Fra) 70 72 73 73
289 D Fichardt (SAf) 72 70 72 75
290 M Pavon (Fra) 71 70 76 73
291 D Brooks (Eng) 68 74 78 71
293 S Dyson  (Eng) 67 70 76 80
298 R Gonzalez (Arg) 69 73 82 74