Jorge Campillo, winner of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, poses for a picture with The Mother of Pearl Trophy during the victory ceremony at the Education City Golf Club yesterday.
Spain’s Jorge Campillo defeated David Drysdale in a closely-fought play-off to win the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and secure his second European Tour title.
Yesterday at the Education City Golf Club , it was a case of so close yet so far for Drysdale.
The Scot has now contested 498 European Tour events without a win and has finished as runner up on four occasions.
Overnight leader, Campillo had a two shot lead ahead of the final two holes, but hit a double bogey on the 17th meaning the victor was decided by extra holes for the second time in as many weeks.
In the play-off, Campillo stayed alive with two long birdie putts in a playoff and won on the fifth extra hole to win the Mother of pearl Trophy in Qatar.
Dane Jeff Winther bogeyed the 16th and 17th to finish one shot out of the play-off alongside Swede Niklas Lemke and Finn Kalle Samooja.
Campillo had to wait 229 events for his first European Tour victory at the Trophée Hassan II but he has now won in consecutive seasons.
“I’m just so proud right now of the way I played in the play-off,” Campillo said.
“I hardly missed a shot and I was able to make some putts.
“I hit some good shots coming in in the middle of the round but you have to be patient, you have to try hard. I knew I was going to make some putts. It was a tough win but I’m glad I pulled it off.” “David was hitting some great shots into the hole and I had to make some putts. Three birdies out of six on 18 to win is something to be proud of.” “It’s a great par four, 18. A tough hole,” he said.
There was a two shot swing on the very first hole as Winther put his approach to ten feet and Campillo made a bogey.
The overnight leader was back in a share of top spot as he took advantage of the par five second from six feet, with Drysdale playing a beautiful bunker shot to save par on the fourth.
The 44-year-old took advantage with a birdie from ten feet on the next to make it a three way tie, as Winther missed a golden birdie opportunity from six feet.
He would make no mistake on the seventh and after putting another approach in tight, he was at the top on his own.
Campillo put an approach to tap-in range on the tenth and when Winther failed to get up and down from the sand on the 12th, Campillo was the solo leader. He got up and down at the par five 13th to lead by two and despite having to play out sideways and dropping a shot on the 16th, he stayed two ahead as Winther three putted from just off the green.
Drysdale had missed a very short putt on the eighth to drop back to 13 under but he put an approach to eight feet on the 14th before bogeying the next as he failed to get up and down.
But he soon found himself in a share of the lead as Campillo went a long way right off the 17th tee and three putted from just off the green for that double bogey.
Winther also three putted from just off the green and Campillo and Drysdale made their closing pars to set up the play-off drama.
Lemke made birdies on the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, 11th, 13th and 14th to surge up the leaderboard but made two late bogeys in a 65, while Samooja holed very long putts on the ninth and 11th in a 69 containing four birdies and two bogeys.
Swede Alexander Björk was at 11 under, a shot clear of countryman Marcus Kinhult, Italy’s Nino Bertasio, South African George Coetzee, Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal and England’s Chris Paisley.
