Gabriel Canizares played out the drama to the last shot, winning the American Express Dirab Championship in a play-off against Craig Hinton for his maiden success on the MENA Golf Tour on Wednesday.
Canizares, son of European Tour veteran Jose-Maria and brother of Alejandro, started the day as co-leader with England’s Luke Joy, and needed a birdie on the last to edge England’s Hinton, but settled for a par en route to a closing 70 to extend the play as the two finished tied on 11-under in regulation.
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Both players parred the first extra hole – the par-4, 18th – but Hinton missed the green on the second with an errant approach which resulted in a bogey while the Spaniard held his nerve to make a par at Dirab in Saudi Arabia.
“I am really very excited to win this one. It wasn’t easy out there, but I am glad that I managed to get over the line,” said the Spaniard after receiving the trophy and a cheque for $9,000 from Shaikh Khaled Abunayyan, president of the Dirab Golf and Country Club, and Fahad Al Guthami, COO of American Express (Saudi Arabia).
“I was a bit nervous going into extra holes as my play-off record isn’t all the great. It’s 50-50. I think I got a bit lucky (on the second extra hole) when Craig failed to find the green,” said Canizares. “The competition on the tour is very stiff and one needs to shoot at least 10-under to be in contention and that speaks volumes of the standard of golf here.”
Congratulations to Gabriel Canizares on winning #AmexDirabChampionship #playoff #MakingIthappen #SaudiArabia
— MENA Golf Tour (@MENAGolfTour) October 7, 2015
Hinton, who led by three shots after the first round, raced to four-under after the 15th but a dropped shot after a wayward drive on the 17th blew his chances of winning the title outright as he closed with a 69.
“That bogey made the difference. And then I didn’t hit a good shot on the second play-off hole. I had my chances, but just couldn’t close the deal,” he said.
England’s Joy stumbled out of the gate with two bogeys on the first four holes and failed to recreate the brilliance he showed in shooting a course-record 64 in the second round. His closing two-over 74 meant he finished fourth on seven-under, three behind the ever-consistent Thriston Arthur Lawrence of South Africa.
Morocco’s Mehdi Saissi continued his run of good form, winning the MENA Division for the second time in row. The 24-year-old finished on four-under after carding a final-round 70 to finish three ahead of compatriot Ayoub Lguirati, who had the consolation of winning the amateur division on one-under.
