Lee Corfield birdied the first extra hole in a play-off to win the Mena Golf Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club on Wednesday.
Five shots behind the overnight leader, Faycal Serghini, going into the final round, Corfield closed with a 67 to reach an 11-under-par total of 202 and that mark stood up as the Moroccan settled for a one-over 72, resulting in the play-off.
Corfield hit the green in two on the first extra hole, hitting his three-wood from 281 yards to about 20 feet from the pin and two-putted for a birdie while Serghini left his chip from the fairway too short and settled for par. The Moroccan had a chance to wrap up victory during regulation play but missed a five-footer for a birdie on the closing hole.
Corfield claimed his second victory on the tour in the space of two weeks after he had triumphed at the Qatar Classic last month.
“I am over the moon,” said the Englishman, who won US$13,500 (Dh49,500) for his efforts, which secured him third spot in the final Order of Merit, finishing behind the winner Zane Scotland and Stephen Dodd. “You have to believe in yourself that you can do it. Even though I was five behind going into the final I never gave up hope.”
A further reward for Corfield is that he, Scotland and Dodd all qualify to play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February, along with the Moroccan Mustapha El Maouas, who won the amateur Order of Merit.
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