Reuters - Mark Hensby's venture to The EuropeanTour proved a fruitful one on Sunday when the Australian disappointed the home gallery by beating Swede Henrik Stenson in a sudden-death play-off for the Scandinavian Masters by Carlsberg title.
Both players had come from two shots off the lead overnight to close with six under par 65s and total 22 under par 262, three shots ahead of the field. But then Stenson's three putt bogey at the second extra hole finally separated the pair, leaving Hensby to pick up the first prize.
In a dramatic end to 72 holes, Stenson looked favourite to win when he eagled the 17th with a 25ft putt but then Hensby forced the play-off by holing a 30ft birdie putt on the 18th.
"When you know you've got a putt for a play-off you've kind of got a free shot and I hit a great putt but you need a bit of luck for it to go in ," said the 34 year old from Melbourne, playing on invitation on a break from the US PGA Tour.
"I played with Henrik for the first three days and I knew what a great player he was, so I knew I needed something special."
To win the tour's second successive play-off and a record 12th shootout of the season, Hensby backed up a fine showing in this year's three majors, in which he has finished tied fifth, tied third and tied 15th.
He was so delighted with his victory, his second following the 2004 John Deere Classic in America, he is now going to take up European Tour Membership.
The winner had Nick Faldo's long-serving caddie Fanny Sunesson on the bag, following an arrangement with the Swede earlier in the year. However, Sunesson had no mixed allegiances, Hensby revealed: "As we were walking back for the play-off she said to me "We're either going to make a lot of Swedes happy or I'm going to be the only happy Swede in the place!"
Stenson's outward nine, three under, put him on top of the leaderboard. Then his eagle on 17, and a stunning bunker save to inches on the last, set up his chance of a third European Tour title and bettering his tied second place last year.
However, when he hit his approach putt at the second playoff hole six feet past and missed the one back he was runner-up for a second year.
"Obviously it was his day and not mine," said Stenson. "I was tied second and now second on my own, so at least I'm moving in the right direction."
Welshman Bradley Dredge and Barry Lane of England began the final round two shots ahead but Lane's double-bogey on the tenth when he shanked a bunker shot into the lake and an indifferent run coming home by Dredge took them out of contention. For a second successive week, Dredge faded after leading, finishing tied third with Zimbabwean Marc Cayeux, the first round leader.
Cayeux came home in 28 shots, only a stroke off the European Tour record for nine holes.
Tournament favourite World Number Seven, Adam Scott of Australia, finished in a tie for fifth place, six strokes away from the playoff with a closing 68.
