Gavins wins despite finding water twice on 18th

-17 D Gavins (Eng); -16 Z Lombard (SA), A Bjork (Swe); -15 A Meronk (Pol), T Olesen (Den)
Selected others: -13 R Fisher (Eng); -12 D Law (Sco); -10 M Jordan (Eng), N Kimsey (Eng); -8 P Harrington (Ire), R Mansell (Eng), M Warren (Sco)

England’s Daniel Gavins needed to hole a 26ft putt for a double bogey to claim the Ras Al Khaimah Championship after twice finding water on the 18th hole.

Swede Bjork’s three-putt on 18 gave Gavins a three-shot cushion that he ultimately needed while South African Lombard missed an eagle putt to tie.

“I’m pretty speechless to be honest,” said the 31-year-old world number 296.

The Leeds-born player had been struggling with a back injury and was unable to practice leading into the tournament at Al Hamra.

“I’ve been struggling off the tee the last two weeks and it’s not a very nice tee shot to have (on 18), even with a lead,” he added.

“It was a difficult hole to get through and to be fair I thought I was holing that putt for a play-off. I didn’t realise Bjork had made bogey.

“I’d put two in the water and I thought ‘that’s one way to end the tournament’. I sunk the putt and went to the back of the green and saw that I was actually winning still. It was kind of a big shock.”

Gavins began the final round two shots behind overnight leader Lombard but, after bogeying the opening hole, responded by making eight birdies in a three-under closing 69.

Bjork, who was playing in the group in front of Gavins, missed a birdie putt that would have piled pressure on the Englishman but then also failed to hole his return putt for par and carded a 68.

Gavins drove into water off the tee and found the lake again with his approach but his long putt for double bogey meant he took a one-shot advantage into the clubhouse.

He then faced an anxious wait for the final pairing to finish but Lombard, who was trailing by two shots, could only birdie the last for a final-round 72 to fail by a stroke to force extra holes.

In-form Polish player Adrian Meronk shot a 65 to finish tied fourth on 15 under alongside Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, who closed with a 67.

Englishman Ross Fisher was tied-ninth after a superb 65 on Sunday, while David Law of Scotland closed with a 71 to finish 11th.