Dubai, Jan 30: Viktor Hovland rallied from a six-shot deficit to get into a play-off with a dramatic finish and win Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club. The 24-year-old Norwegian youngster, who has now on three times in his last five starts had a birdie-eagle-birdie finish to end up at 12-under and the waited for the others, including Rory McIlroy to finish, even as the 48-year-old Englishman Richard Bland finished birdie-birdie to get to 12-under.
McIlroy needing a birdie to win outright had just saved par with two great shots on 17th, but on the 18th, going for the green in two, he found water. The resultant bogey dropped McIlroy to 11-under and out of the play-off.
In the play-off Bland going for the green in two found himself in a divot and coming out of it, he left himself a birdie putt that just missed out. Hovland with a two-putt for a win made no mistake and added a second European Tour win to go with four others on the PGA Tour.
“I didn’t think it was possible,” said Hovland. “It is kind of surreal. Starting the day I just wanted to get a good round and a good finish,” said Hovland.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma after 72-72 on first two days, ended with 76-76 on last two days. The final round had two double bogeys besides three bogeys and three birdies for a 76 and ended T-75 a week after finishing second at Abu Dhabi.
As Bland finished second, McIlroy was left stranded third. Five players including Justin Harding, the overnight leader, Tyrrell Hatton, Sam Horsfield, Adrian Meronk and Erik Van Rooyen were Tied-fifth.
Hovland becomes the first Norwegian to win a Rolex Series event and adds this title to his maiden DP World Tour victory at the 2021 BMW International Open.
It is his third win in five starts after back-to-back victories in November and December at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and Hero World Challenge, and could move him up to third in the Official World Golf Ranking.
“This is pretty wild. I didn’t really think this was possible going in today,” said Hovland, who started the day six shots off the lead. “I knew I had to shoot a really low number but a lot of things had to go my way and I’m thankful that they did.
“I’m pumping right now. It’s a little bit surreal and it’s hard to kind of calm yourself a little bit but you’ve just got to rely on all the shots that you hit and just go back to what you know.
“I was fuming after the three-putt on 15 and thought that was it and I knew I just had to try to finish off well and get a nice position for the week. I rolled a really long one on 16 and then on 17 and, hey, we got a shot,” added Hovland.
McIlroy found sand off the tee for a bogey at the first and while he was in the waste area down the right off the sixth tee, he managed to find the green and hole from 18 feet
The Northern Irishman then made a 29-footer on the next to join the lead as Bland made a big move around the turn.
The Englishman had bogeyed the sixth but he holed a chip on the ninth, made an up-and-down from the sand on the tenth and then holed from the sand on the next for a hat-trick of gains to catapult himself within one.
McIlroy holed a clutch putt for bogey on the tenth after taking a drop in the waste area but hit back from 24 feet on the next and led alone as overnight leader Harding found sand twice, played a second poor bunker shot and then failed to get up and down in racking up a triple-bogey.
He would soon have company, however, as Hovland picked up four shots in his last three holes to surge up the leaderboard.
He had put an approach to six feet at the first and made a two-putt birdie on the par-five third but bogeyed the fourth before hitting a smart approach into the next and holing a 25-footer on the eighth to turn in 32.
His chances looked to have gone when he three-putted the 15th but he holed from 35 feet on the next and then drove the 17th and made a 33-footer for eagle to tie the lead.
McIlroy played a poor second on the 13th but got up and down from the bank for a birdie to edge back ahead, with Hovland completing a two-putt birdie on the par-five last to join him and set the target.
Bland was not done yet, however, and after getting up and down for par on the 15th and 16th, he did it again for birdie on the 17th and 18th.
McIlroy needed a birdie over the gettable final two holes but he had to make a remarkable par from the bushes at the 17th and found water on the last for a bogey that sent Bland and Hovland back up the last.
Harding signed for a closing 76, Meronk – who had also held the lead in the early stages of day four – carded a 72 which was matched by Hatton, Van Rooyen finished with a 73 and Horsfield recorded a 67.
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