From Rasmus Højgaard’s play-off eagle to Branden Grace’s final round 62 on home soil, we take a look back at five of the most dramatic finishes so far this season.
The European Tour season hit pause following Jorge Campillo’s nail-biting play-off victory in Qatar, and with tournaments set to resume in the coming weeks with two dual ranking events in Austria prior to the start of the new UK Swing at the British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood, we decided to take a look back at some of the most dramatic wins so far.
Here is your recap of some of the moments of jubilation and heartbreak from the 11 tournaments played so far this season...
Pablo Larrazábal pulls off epic recovery at Alfred Dunhill Championship
Pablo Larrazábal ended a four and-a-half year wait with a remarkable comeback to win his fifth European Tour title after a dramatic finale at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The Spaniard started the day three shots clear but was struggling with blisters and swing problems throughout the final round at Leopard Creek, carding six bogeys and a double bogey to fall three shots behind at one point.
Larrazábal missed the green with his approach to the first, bogeyed the third after a wild drive down the right and failed to reach the green with a chip from a bunker at the short fifth to drop another shot and hand Wil Besseling a share of the lead. There was some relief for the 36-year-old as he made an up-and-down from the sand at the driveable sixth for birdie, but Besseling converted form six feet on the same hole to keep the pair locked together before the Dutch player took the outright lead a hole later.
Larrazábal then duck hooked his tee shot left at the ninth and his second only avoided water because it hit an advertising board but despite that slice of fortune, he could only make bogey to turn in 41.
Besseling missed a birdie chance at the tenth from five feet, but both players got up-and-down for gains at the driveable 11th. Larrazabal's woes continued though after a wild hook at the 13th, finding a bunker with his third after taking a drop and bogeyed. He ventured left off the tee again at the 14th but recovered well and almost chipped in for birdie, as Besseling carded a double bogey after going from sand to water with his second to leave Joel Sjöholm in the lead on seven under.
Besseling reached the 15th green in two and birdied to draw level at the top of the leaderboard but Larrazábal also converted from six feet at to be only one back, then rolled in a 15 footer at the next to make it a three-way tie at the top. At the final hole, Larrazábal, who laid up and fired his third in close, was able to tap-in for victory.
Højgaard makes eagle to win play-off at AFRASIA Bank Mauritius Open
In the second event of the season Rasmus Højgaard became the third youngest player in history to win on the European Tour at 18 years and 271 days, and he did it in style with an eagle on the third play-off hole at Heritage Golf Club.
The young Dane had started the day a shot back but quickly claimed the lead after opening his final round in spectacular fashion - rolling a birdie putt from seven feet at the first, and an eagle putt from 12 feet at the second.
But things quickly changed; Renato Paratore birdied four of his first seven holes just as Højgaard dropped two shots in a row from the fourth, and by the time he rolled in a 50 foot putt on the tenth there was a five-way tie at the top on 18 under.
Antoine Rozner broke free of the group with a two putt birdie on the 14th, and Paratore was the first to join him after an excellent chip at the last set up a final hole birdie. With the clubhouse target set at 19 under, Rozner parred his way in, while Højgaard made birdie on the 18th to join them.
Højgaard missed a 12 foot eagle putt for the title on the first trip back up the par five last but - after halving the hole in birdies with Rozner at the second attempt - made his three from similar range at the third time of asking to take the title.The victory in just his fifth European Tour start made him the fastest Dane to a European Tour title, beating 15 time European Tour winner and 2018 Ryder Cup winning Captain Thomas Bjørn's record of 24 events.
Grace shoots 62 to win South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg
Branden Grace was crowned champion at his home Open following a tense battle with countryman Louis Oosthuizen at Randpark Golf Club, posting a final round 62 that included nine one-putts in a row to claim his ninth European Tour title.
Major winner Oosthuizen had started the round with a narrow advantage over the field but it was Grace who mounted an early charge, making an eagle putt at the fourth from 25 feet and carding four other birdies on the front nine to get to 17 under.
Oosthuizen sent the home crowds in to raptures with a hole-in-one at the eighth to briefly leapfrog Grace at the top and it looked as if he was on course to successfully defend his title, but Grace’s 25 footer on the ninth brought the pair back level at the turn.
Grace, who became a Rolex Series winner with his last European Tour victory at the 2017 Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, then led on his own after a stunning recovery from the rough on the 11th . A wonderful approach at the same hole gave Oosthuizen a share of the lead once more, but from there Grace found another gear, sandwiching a birdie from 12 feet on the 13th with gains on the par five 12th and 14th to win by three.
Herbert defeats Bezuidenhout in play-off at Omega Dubai Desert Classic
With tough course conditions and very high winds, Lucas Herbert’s play-off victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic was a memorable one as the duo came from six shots back during the final day at Emirates Golf Club.
Overnight leader Ashun Wu briefly held a three shot advantage after chipping in at the seventh, but as he eventually struggled to a five over par round of 77, it was Bezuidenhout who emerged as the one to beat.
The South African made birdies at both the par three fourth and seventh holes before adding back to back gains from the 10th to move in to a share of second, and he soon gained the outright lead thanks to an up and down from the bunker for a further birdie on 13 as Wu fell back.
That left Bezuidenhout with a two shot lead standing on the 18th fairway but he put his third shot into the water, and needed a clutch 15 footer to limit the damage to one shot.
Herbert had been climbing the leaderboard throughout the day, and after sandwiching a bogey on the 12th with a pair of birdies and another gain on the 17th, the Australian hit the 18th green in two for a birdie-birdie finish and a place in the play-off.
The tournament seemed to be in Bezuidenhout’s hands when Herbert found the water with his second on the first play-off hole, but a stunning approach helped him save par and force an extra hole. This time, a two putt birdie was enough to earn the 24 year old his maiden European Tour title.
Campillo defeats Drysdale on fifth play-hole at the Qatar Masters
Jorge Campillo’s play-off victory over David Drysdale at the Qatar Masters marked the final event before the pause in the schedule and provided the most dramatic ending of the season so far.
The Spaniard had held a one shot lead heading in to the final round, but was forced to quickly recover his composure after opening with a bogey. Campillo regained the lead with a birdie at the second and was briefly joined at the top by Drysdale when the Scot birdied the fourth, but a dropped shot at the par four eighth kept him one shot back at the turn.
Campillo added further gains at the 10th and 13th holes to move three shots clear, but it was a lead that was short-lived as he followed up a bogey at the 16th with a three putt for double on 17. It opened the door for Drysdale, but he missed a birdie chance at the last and the duo were sent back to the 18th for a play-off.
It looked like Drysdale might finally earn his long-awaited maiden title in his 498th start when Campillo found the sand from the tee, but the 33 year old then holed a 25 foot putt for birdie, which Drysdale matched from six feet to keep the contest going.
The pair traded fist bumps, and then another pair of birdies, before making routines pars on the third and fourth play-off holes as the light began to fade in Doha. But the fifth trip back up 18 would be the last: Campillo rolled in yet another birdie attempt from 20 feet, and this time Drysdale missed, with the Spaniard sealing his second European Tour title within a year, following his maiden win at the 2019 Trophee Hassan II
