Stuart Manley’s dramatic recent fortunes continued as he chipped in at the 18th to join Prom Meesawat and Miguel Angel Jiménez in a play-off for the Hong Kong Open.
On a fascinating final day in Fanling, all three players finished on 12 under par after string of twists and turns.
Meesawat was the only player from the 75 who made the cut to record an eagle in the final round and the Thai made two of them – holing from 20 feet to take the lead and 50 feet at the 13th for what looked like a decisive blow.
But the 29 year old went from being three clear to level in moments, bogeying the 14th after failing to get up-and-down from just off the green as Jiménez birdied the 13th and 14th.
The Spaniard had become The European Tour’s oldest winner with his victory here just over a year ago, but three-putted the 15th to drop off the pace.
Overnight leader Manley, who followed a hole-in-one with an 11 at last month’s ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf shortly after coming through his tenth trip to Qualifying School, bogeyed the first after a wayward drive to see his advantage wiped out.
The 34 year old had four bogeys and four birdies in a topsy-turvy first ten holes, and when Meesawat signed for a 65 both he and Jiménez needed to find a birdie over the closing holes.
The 49 year old Jiménez duly holed from ten feet at the 17th, but Manley saw his birdie putts at the 16th and 17th slide by.
His chance seemed to have gone when he missed the green at the last, but he sensationally chipped in to join the play-off.
Both Manley and Meesawat were seeking a first European Tour title, while Jiménez would break his own record as The European Tour’s oldest winner just a few weeks before his 50th birthday.
