Bubba Watson defeated Tim Clark on the first play-off hole to win the WGC-HSBC Champions yesterday after an extraordinary finish to the £5.4m event in Shanghai.
Watson was two shots clear with three holes to play at Sheshan International only to bogey the 16th and run up a double bogey on the 17th after failing to escape a greenside bunker at the first attempt.
That dropped Watson a shot behind playing partners Clark and Rickie Fowler, as well as the final group of Graeme McDowell, Hiroshi Iwata and Martin Kaymer. Clark looked in pole position when he hit his third shot to the par-five 18th to four feet and saw Fowler find the water and Watson a greenside bunker.
But Watson then amazingly holed his bunker shot for an eagle and Clark's birdie was only good enough to leave the pair tied on 11 under. Kaymer's chances disappeared when his approach flew into the water, while McDowell and Iwata missed from 18 and 12 feet respectively.
Clark and Watson returned to the 18th for the play-off and Clark left his birdie attempt short leaving the left-hander to hole his effort to seal victory. "For me this is the big one," Watson said. "I always wanted to win outside the US. It's a World Golf Championship, so when you add it all up it means a lot."
Meanwhile, England's Laura Davies came up just short in her bid to become the oldest winner in LPGA history in the Mizuno Classic in Japan on Sunday.
The 51-year-old went into the final round tied for the lead at Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, but could only shoot 71 to finish a shot outside a play-off contested by Kotono Kozuma, Ilhee Lee and winner Mi Hyang Lee.
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