Paul Casey claimed his fourth title on The European Tour International Schedule when he beat Paul McGinley at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the TCL Classic at the Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya, Hainan Island.
Both players ended the regulation 72 holes on 22 under par 266 in the co-sanctioned event with the Asian Tour, but it was on the return to the 449 yard 18th hole for the second time that the Englishman ended his Irish Ryder Cup colleague’s hopes of his own fourth European Tour title.
Casey had a putt from 15 feet to win outright on the 72nd green but left the effort agonisingly short and he had to settle for a closing 66. He had another chance from 12 feet at the first play-off hole, but on that occasion the putt slipped past the left edge of the cup.
However, the next time round there was no mistake, Casey holing a majestic 25 foot birdie putt from the back of the green to take the title and the €123,772 (£86,527) first prize to move to 20th place on The European Tour Order of Merit, one place behind McGinley. A par might have been good enough with McGinley 12 feet away in three after having found sand with his drive and his approach, but the Englishman made sure nevertheless.
“I felt that I played good golf all week and I think the reason for that was that I felt quite at home here,” said Casey. “The place is fantastic and the people are so friendly, and the course also reminds me of a few back home in England.
“One of the keys to my success this week was my driving. The boys at Nike built me a new driver and it has been hitting the ball silly distances, but thankfully straight as well, and that gave me an advantage.
“It is nice to get the season going now. A lot has been written about me off the course and I also had a back injury which meant I had to miss a few tournaments. But hopefully now this can get people talking about my golf and I am really looking forward to The Players Championship next week.”
It was Casey’s first play-off win on The European Tour, his only other experience of the tension of extra holes coming last year when he lost to Simon Khan at The Celtic Manor Wales Open. Ironically, that was the site of McGinley’s only play-off success in four attempts, that coming in 2001 when he beat Paul Lawrie and Daren Lee for The Celtic Manor title.
It was hard luck on the 38 year old Irishman who had produced stunning golf over the final round to give himself a chance of victory. Starting the day in a share of tenth place, McGinley became the man to beat with a magnificent final round nine under par 63, which matched the course record, set by Danny Chia in 2003.
Four birdies saw him out in 32 but it was on the back nine that his challenge truly ignited with five birdies in a row from the 13th. It moved him to 22 under par, which nearly became 23 under, his attempt from 20 feet at the 18th just missing out.
Having started an hour before the main protagonists, it meant a long wait for McGinley to see if anyone could match him. Many tried, but in the end it was only Casey who succeeded.
For a while it looked like Colin Montgomerie, winner of the TCL Classic on the Asian Tour in 2002, might be the man when he birdied four holes out of five around the turn. But the 41 year old Scot could not find any inspiration over the closing stages and seven pars to finish saw him end in sixth place on 20 under par 268.
Three other players came up one stroke short on 21 under par 267, Denmark’s Thomas Björn and the men leading the Asian Tour challenge, Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand and Korea’s Wook-Soon Kang.
Björn, in particular, had reason to feel aggrieved at not claiming the title for himself following a stunning back nine of 29 in his 66 which featured five birdies and an eagle at the 13th. The only problem for the Dane was the fact he had left himself a little too much to do following a quadruple bogey seven at the short third after he blocked his tee shot into the water.
Plaphol, playing in the final group with Casey, also had problems in the early stages of his round with a double bogey at the second, but the 30 year old battled back bravely and gave himself a chance with an eagle three at the 16th. It meant he had to birdie one of the final two holes to get into the play-off, but he came up short on both occasions, finishing with a round of 67.
Kang also battled well all day and, although he had no realistic chance of a play-off place, his birdie three at the last from 15 feet gave him a closing round of 65 and delight at having shared third place.
It then only left Casey to match McGinley and the 27 year old Englishman was equal to the task, reaching the turn in four under par 32 before producing the birdies he needed at the par four 14th – where he drove the green and two putted – and the par five 16th – where he missed the green with his approach but chipped to three feet and holed out.
He did well to save par from the bunker at the 15th and again at the 17th where he came up 50 yards short of the green after hitting his approach shot fat, but once he got into extra holes, there were no more mistakes.
