The referee (left) is called after Neels Els (not pictured) accidentally played Ernie Els’s (right) ball out of a bunker on the 9th hole during the final day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships on the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland, yesterday.
GLASGOW: Englishman David Howell birdied the second extra hole to beat American Peter Uihlein in a sudden-death playoff and win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrew’s, Scotland yesterday.
Howell and Uihlein were tied at 23 under par at the end of the tournament, a pro-am event in which players alternate between three courses over the first three days, before the top 60 pros and the top 20 teams compete in the final round.
Uihlein, 24, who carded a 60 in his second round, took a two-shot lead into the final day but Howell came home with a five-under par 67 to Uihlein’s 69 to force the playoff.
England’s Tom Lewis put himself in contention with a final- round 64 but he fell just short on 22 under par for a share of third place with Ireland’s Shane Lowry.
Former Ryder Cup player Howell, 38, has struggled in recent years to find his form.
“As a pro, to win at the home of golf is quite amazing. It has been a long, long road from the depths of despair,” he told Sky Sports.
“I have had a lot of support from people around me and this is for them, too. It is sweet (to win) and a dream. “
It was Howell’s fifth appearance in a playoff - and his first victory.
Meanwhile Osaka, Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura birdied the final two holes to claim the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open yesterday, his first Asian and Japan Golf Tour title.
Kawamura, 20, started the final round two shots behind overnight leader Park Sung-joon but fired a four-under-par 67 at the Ibaraki Country Club to edge the South Korean by one shot and claim the 150m yen ($1.53m) title.
Park dropped shots on the 16th and 17th but still had a chance to force a playoff at the co-sanctioned event but he misread his 10ft birdie putt on the par five to leave Kawamura celebrating.
“I am more surprised than anything as I was expecting a play-off,” Kawamura was quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency.
“This win is really big. Obviously it is the biggest thing to happen in my career. Now I get to play in Japan and on the Asian Tour as well. I’m sure it will brighten my future and help me improve,” the Japanese told the Asian Tour.
Kawamura reached the turn one-over for his round but came to life on the back nine with five birdies and no drop shots to claim the breakthrough victory with a nine-under 275 total and moved him up to seventh on the Japan Golf Tour moneylist.
Park’s sloppy finish meant he signed for a one-under 70 and eight-under total and his fourth runner-up finish on the Japan Golf Tour this season. AGENCIES
