Pablo Larrazábal claimed his seventh DP World Tour title, and his second in just four appearances, after the Spaniard birdied the final hole for a scorching 62 and a first win on home soil at the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain.
The 38-year-old, who won the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood last month in South Africa, began the final round three strokes back at Infinitum – just outside Tarragona and merely one hour down the road from his home in Barcelona – and he catapulted himself into the mix courtesy of five successive birdies from the ninth.
The 2014 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner commented: ““What a day. But I knew that my golf was there. I couldn’t make any putts the first three days but I told my girlfriend last night that she had to choose her clothing for the pictures!
“I knew that I had a low one in my bag and that’s what I did. Today I holed putts and that was key. I mean, to shoot 62 in windy conditions with the flags out there, it was good.”
Threat from fellow countryman
Fellow Spaniard and Emirates Golf Federation ambassador Adrian Otaegui, and his two playing partners in the final group, Aaron Cockerill of Canada and South Africa’s Hennie Du Plessis, all remained in contention coming down the stretch having shared a three-way tie for the lead heading into the final round.
Matching Rahm
But Larrazábal’s 15 under total, after an eight under final round, was enough to clinch a seventh Tour title – moving him alongside Jon Rahm, Alvaro Quiros and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño on the list of Spaniards with most wins, and making him the second multiple winner of the 2022 season after World Number One Scottie Scheffler.
Otgaegui misses play-off
Otaegui had an opportunity to force a play-off with an eagle chance at the last, but a birdie was only enough to finish one stroke back in second spot, with Cockerill and Du Plessis finishing a shot further back in a share of third on 13 under.
Top 5
265 LARRAZABAL (ESP) 67 68 68 62,
266 OTAEGUI (ESP) 66 66 68 66,
267 DU PLESSIS (RSA) 64 70 66 67, A COCKERILL (CAN) 69 69 62 67,
268 ROZNER (FRA) 67 68 66 67,
270 LI (CHN) 71 68 64 67,
