Turkish triumph for Hatton in epic six-man play-off
Turkish Airlines Open report: What happened at Maxx Royal?
Tyrrell Hatton came through an incredible six-man play-off to win his fourth European Tour title and his second Rolex Series event.
Matthias Schwab held a three-shot lead but this was quickly shortened by playing partners Benjamin Hebert and Hatton.
Erik van Rooyen, Victor Perez and Kurt Kitayama were also breathing down Schwab’s neck and by the time the final group finished the par-5 18th, Schwab was joined by his five pursuers at 20-under and heading for a play-off.
The six players were split into two groups of three and it was van Rooyen who was the first to falter.
The South African fired his tee shot into a bush down the left side and required a drop which all but ended buried his chance of victory.
Hatton caught a mud ball with his second and this led to him needing to hole his fourth shot from off the green to stay alive in the play-off which he duly obliged.
Tyrell Hatton needed to hole this to stay alive in the play-off.
Of course he did. pic.twitter.com/GLi76GXLwi
— NCG (@NCG_com) November 10, 2019
Kitayama also made a birdie and put the pressure on the second group containing Schwab, Perez and Hebert.
Kitayama also makes his birdie.
❌ van Rooyen is out.
Now over to the second playoff group of Schwab, Hebert & Perez.#TurkishAirlinesOpen #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/0UfoCexNAs
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 10, 2019
Hebert has found trouble off the tee and went from rough to rough as he struggled his way down 18. The Frenchman has now lost two play-offs on the European Tour this season.
Perez also fell out of contention as he failed to make birdie but Schwab played a superb approach to leave a short putt to stay in it, which he holed.
Hatton, Schwab and Kitayama headed beck to the tee to play again.
Schwab and Kitayama both found the centre of the fairway while Hatton’s ball rested just in the right rough. All players missed the green with their second shots and all putted for birdie.
Hatton and Schwab both shaved the hole leaving Kitayama with a putt for victory but he couldn’t make the most of it.
The floodlights were turned on and the players headed back to the tee once more.
All 3 players miss birdie putts…
We're heading back down 18 for the third time.#TurkishAirlinesOpen #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/rDsnBmkRii
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 10, 2019
Hatton held the advantage after the tee shots but came up short with his second and, after Schwab holed a birdie putt from the fringe, the pressure was on his playing partners to follow suit.
Kitayama was not able to do so but Hatton rolled in his short putt to stay in the contest.
Amazing drama in Turkey!
-20 Schwab
-20 Hatton
-20 K̶i̶t̶a̶y̶a̶m̶a̶
-20 P̶e̶r̶e̶z̶
-20 v̶a̶n̶ ̶R̶o̶o̶y̶e̶n̶
-20 H̶e̶b̶e̶r̶t̶The show goes on… pic.twitter.com/WEbdWoUt7b
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 10, 2019
Schwab found the fairway off the tee while Hatton again found the right rough and was forced to lay up. The Englishman left a good look at birdie after his third as Schwab chipped his past the pin and into the opposite fringe.
Unable to hole another long putt in the play-off, the Austrian left the stage clear for Hatton whose birdie putt rolled agonisingly by.
This saw Schwab re-enter the picture but he missed a short putt for par and handed victory to his opponent.
Congratulations @TyrrellHatton! 🏆
The #TurkishAirlinesOpen Champion!#RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/vrGcFQiroW
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 10, 2019
Turkish Airlines Open report: Anything else?
Not only was there the rarity of a six-man play-off but the event created a further slice of European Tour history by being the first tournament on the tour to conclude under the lights.
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Eddie Pepperell made his own headlines on Saturday as he found himself disqualified from the tournament in a bizarre ball blunder.
The Englishman seemed to let frustration get the better of him and it didn’t end well. Here’s what happened.
What’s next?
The European Tour heads to the second of its three-event Final Series in South Africa for the Nedbank Challenge at Gary Player Country Club.
Joe Hughes
Tour editor covering men's golf, women's golf and anything else that involves the word golf, really. The talk is far better than the game, but the work has begun to change that.
