Lucas Herbert Wins Omega Dubai Desert Classic In Playoff

Australia’s Lucas Herbert claimed his maiden European Tour victory after winning the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the second extra hole of a playoff.

As the Dubai Desert Classic came towards its end, the 24-year-old Lucas Herbert was up against South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who took his first European Tour victory at the Andalucia Masters last summer.

The pair went down the par-5 18th twice in the playoff, after both making par on the first attempt. However, Hebert took the win with a birdie on the second extra hole, securing his first European Tour victory.

In regulation time on day four, the two were the only to men to card rounds of 68, as they both finished the event at -9, one of the lowest winning scores on the Tour over the last couple of years. Herbert finished the tournament as the only man to post four under-par rounds, coming in with 69, 71, 71, 68.

https://twitter.com/EuropeanTour/status/1221427284894273536

Had England’s Tom Lewis managed to card a level-par round of 72 on the final day, he would have been in the playoff as well, but a round of 74 saw him drop down to -7, finishing in a tie for 3rd alongside Adri Arnaus and Dean Burmester.

The overnight leader of the Dubai Desert Classic, Ashun Wu, posted a five-over 77, to fall away from the top spot, while Kurt Kitayama, who finished alongside the Chinese player in a tie for 6th, posted a round of three-over.

It was a tough day for scoring on Sunday at Emirates GC, with the likes of defending champion Bryson DeChambeau and England’s Eddie Pepperell, who played alongside each other, both shooting four-over-par on the final day.

The American finished just inside the top ten, with Pepperell alongside countryman Tommy Fleetwood and Ireland’s Shane Lowry in a tie for 11th, five behind the eventual winner.

Frenchman Victor Perez started the day at -10, but suffered in his final round, carding a seven-over-par 79 to drop down to T16, alongside Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter and Miguel Angel Jimenez at -3.

Romain Langasque and Ryan Fox both suffered, with the New Zealander one of two men who finished the event at level-par, in a tie for 30th spot.

The Danish pair of Jeff Winther and Søren Kjeldsen both had nightmare rounds on the final day, with the latter posting an 80, to drop out of the top ten and into a tie for 37th.

The likes of Henrik Stenson, Erik van Rooyen, Matthew Fitzpatrick and last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA winner, Lee Westwood, all ended the event over-par.

Back at the top, though, and it ended up being Lucas Herbert’s week. The Australian takes home his maiden European Tour title after winning the Dubai Desert Classic and will make a move up the Race to Dubai leaderboard as well.

Leaderboard:

• 1 (-9, PLAYOFF WINNER): Lucas Herbert (FRA)
• 2 (-9): Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA)
• T3 (-7): Adri Arnaus (ESP), Dean Burmester (RSA), Tom Lewis (ENG)

Selected Others:

• T6 (-6): Kurt Kitayama (USA), Ashun Wu (CHN)
• T8 (-5): Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Bryson DeChambeau (USA), Robert MacIntyre (SCO)
• T11 (-4): Eddie Pepperell (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Shane Lowry (IRL)
• T16 (-3): Martin Kaymer (GER), Ian Poulter (ENG), Victor Perez (FRA), Nacho Elvira (ESP)
• T23 (-2): Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Viktor Hovland (NOR)
• T37 (+2): Henrik Stenson (SWE), Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Søren Kjeldsen (DEN), Jeff Winther (DEN)
• T45 (+4): Robert Karlsson (SWE), Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG)
• T50 (+5): Lee Westwood (ENG), Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL)