David Horsey secured last year’s Trophee Hassan II in the second hole of a three-man play-off. Here, in an excerpt from The European Tour Yearbook 2012, we recap how the Englishman claimed his second European Tour title in Morocco.
Sometimes, in professional golf, it is clear who is going to win a tournament as the leader strides down the final hole with a four or five shot lead. On occasion, however, it is simply impossible to pick a winner and the denouement of the Trophée Hassan II fell into the latter category.
With one hole to play, it looked like England’s David Horsey – who had holed in one at the second – was the man poised to pick up his second European Tour title but, with a one shot lead over the field, he contrived to make double bogey six from the centre of the fairway.
Would it then be South African Jaco Van Zyl’s opportunity to pick up his first Tour triumph? The 32 year old from Johannesburg needed a birdie three to pip Horsey but could only make par four. Surely then, it would be defending champion Rhys Davies who would win for the second year in succession? But, needing only to hole his four foot par putt for glory, inexplicably, one of the Tour’s best putters ran the ball past the hole.
It meant a three-way play-off and on the first return to the 452 yard 18th Horsey showed his mettle with a brave eight footer for par to keep himself in the reckoning. It proved to be a crucial stroke for, on their second trip moments later and with Davies and Van Zyl repeating their par fours, the Englishman fired his approach to three feet and holed for a winning birdie three.
To order your copy of The European Tour Yearbook 2012, a 240-page, full colour hardback Official Publication with iconic pictures by Getty Images and essays from some of the game’s top writers that takes you every step of the way through 52 tournaments and 29 destinations on The 2011 Race to Dubai, click here.
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