Turkish Airlines Open 2019: Tyrrell Hatton prevails in historic play-off under the lights
The Brit edged out Matthias Schwab at the end of a six-player play-off in Antalya
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Amid a roller coaster of emotions framed under the floodlights for the first time in European Tour history, Tyrrell Hatton survived in a dramatic play-off to claim the Turkish Airlines Open. With six players clustered at -20, Hatton needed a desperate chip-in to remain alive before overnight leader Matthias Schwab crumbled at the fourth time of asking.
Schwab had taken inspiration from compatriot Bernd Wiesberger - the current Race to Dubai leader – in pursuit of his first win on the European Tour.
And the 22-year-old seemed primed to achieve it after beginning the day with a three-shot lead, though an initial pack of five challengers in second and benign conditions made for a gripping afternoon in Antalya.
The relentless thirst for birdies this week even saw those six behind maintain hope, with Lee Westwood storming to the front of the queue to apply pressure after collecting six birdies.
The veteran’s challenge was dented when he made bogey on the par three 14th though, before his hopes were completely dashed after clattering into the trees on 17 to drop another.
Perhaps best poised to attack Schwab was Hatton, who relished the need to sprint out of the blocks by making back-to-back birdies at one and two, but his notorious temper was soon tested with bogey on three.
After showing signs of mellowing on Saturday, it was no surprise to see him rally with an eagle on the next though. Schwab calmly remained out in front amid the searing pace required to climb up alongside him.
A bad connection with a chip on 13 saw Hatton forced into a tricky 10-foot par save, squeezing his putter grip tightly before the ball belatedly dropped.
Benjamin Hebert, also chasing his first victory on the European Tour, remained cool too, stroking home a birdie on 13 to move within one of Schwab, who was suddenly under siege from all over the course. Hatton tucked away another birdie on the par three 14 and suddenly there were four within striking distance of the Austrian.
The intriguing subplot to the dart-throwing match was the battle for rookie of the year between Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and American Kurt Kitayama, yet even this merged into the main event. The two-time winner out of Nevada produced a magnificent 64 to secure what would become a play-off spot at -20.
And the 18th soon started printing lottery tickets to those with audacious enough shot-making to reel in Schwab: Firstly Erik Van Rooyen slammed home an eagle, then Victor Perez’s own eagle effort trickled past the hole before he too leaped up to the magic number. Hebert and Hatton’s birdies also saw the play-off group swell to six players, sparking wild cheers from the inebriated crowd closely packed in behind the shady 18th green.
Van Rooyen’s wild tee shot proved fatal, while Hatton’s sloppy chip from over the back of the green appeared to see his hopes vanish, but the Marlow man dramatically drained his second chip coming back.
Kitayama and Schwab’s more conventional birdies kept them alive too, with Perez and Hebert cut adrift after their failure to make a four.
Hatton and Schwab were able to squeeze out Kitayama, who was attempting to become the first ever European Tour rookie with three wins in a season, at the third time of asking down 18. But the drama continued with Hatton spinning around in dismay at another birdie try slipping by. But he avoided another trip back down 18 when Schwab crumbled over a six-footer to gift him his fourth European Tour crown and a dizzying cheque for £1.56m.
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