Pre-tournament favourite Justin Rose won the UBS Hong Kong Open by one shot after a tense final round battle with Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard on a dramatic final day.
The pair had been neck-and-neck for two days, coming into the final round at Fanling with a share of the lead. Rose edged in front with a birdie on the second, but Bjerregaard immediately hit back with birdies at the next two holes to move into a lead, which he held until three-putting the eighth.
Bjerregaard also looked in trouble on the ninth, after his tee shot on the long par four left him blocked out by the trees, but the 24-year-old produced a brilliant approach to 10 feet and holed for an unlikely birdie. And with Rose surprisingly three-putting to card just his second bogey all week, Bjerregaard was two shots ahead with nine holes to play.
The last time Bjerregaard was in the final group in the fourth round was in December’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, when he collapsed to a closing 89 – including a back nine of 50 – to slump from second to 49th. This time there would be no such collapse, but Bjerregaard was left to rue a back nine of 37 which featured wild drives on the 11th, 13th and 14th, the latter leading to a double-bogey six when his recovery attempt from the trees hit more timber.
Rose had birdied the 10th and 13th and after seeing his birdie attempt on the 14th lip out and leaving another on the 15th an inch short, holed from 12 feet on the 16th to claim a decisive two-shot lead with two holes to play.
The 35-year-old could afford to three-putt the 18th for only his third bogey of the week, mocking his timid par attempt by performing a chicken impression.
“Lucas played incredible golf,” said Rose. “It was the first time I had the chance to play with him. I was thoroughly impressed, not just his game, but his temperament. When you separate yourself from the field like we did, it’s probably a tough one for him to lose. But he didn’t lose it, just both of us played incredibly well and separated from the field. I’m very happy to get the job done. I had a chance to win in Napa last week, so I wanted to hang onto this one.”
There was more drama further down the leaderboard, with players battling to make it into the top 110 in the Race to Dubai and maintain their playing privileges for next season.
Matt Ford, who began the week at 117th, secured his card with a tie for seventh but Ben Evans, who was one place behind Ford at 118th, and finished one shot behind him, fell agonisingly short at 111th.
Prom Meesawat, who came into the week 110th in the Race to Dubai, moved up to 108th thanks to five birdies in his last six holes, with Chris Paisley and Renato Paratore also holding on to their cards.