Thriston Lawrence claimed his second win of the season as he overhauled Joost Luiten on a dramatic last day in Germany to take the title on the BMW International Open.
The South African entered the ultimate day at Golfclub München Eichenried 4 photographs behind his rival however had reeled him in by the flip earlier than back-to-back three-putts on the twelfth and thirteenth left him two behind with 5 to play.
Lawrence leaves it late to win large
The seventeenth then proved vital as Lawrence hit a surprising tee-shot to arrange a birdie and Luiten three-putted the par-three to drop out of the lead for the primary time all day.
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Lawrence parred the final for a 69 to end at 13 below and with Luiten unable to make a birdie on the par-five, the 26-year-old was left celebrating a fourth DP World Tour title.
Luiten’s closing 74 left him a shot forward of Kiwi Daniel Hillier, Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, native favorite Maximilian Kieffer and Pole Adrian Meronk.
Lawrence was the primary winner of the DP World Tour period final season on the Joburg Open and he added one other title on the Omega European Masters en route to being topped the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
Another win in his homeland on the Investec South African Open Championship got here initially of this season however that was his final worldwide high ten and Lawrence minimize an emotional determine as he mirrored on a fourth win in 19 months.
“It means a lot,” he mentioned, combating again tears after changing into simply the second South African to win this trophy after the nice Ernie Els.
“There’s been plenty of exhausting work. I went to America for six weeks and made one minimize – this sport shouldn’t be straightforward. It was an actual increase as we speak and I actually gave it my all. I really feel sorry for Joost, I understand how robust this sport is.
“I don’t know why I’m so emotional however clearly it simply exhibits that it means the world and to get my fourth victory in Germany is unbelievable.
“I seem to win a lot of events that Ernie has won. It’s special, he’s obviously the ultimate hero for me. I grew up in that era where he was on top of the world and it’s very special to to get my name along alongside him.”
Lawrence holed a 46-footer at some tempo on the second and adopted it with a left-to-righter from 23 toes on the following to get inside two of the chief after a fast begin.
Luiten second greatest at BMW International
A Luiten three-putt on the third noticed the lead down to one however Lawrence discovered the hazard on the fifth and had to take a drop, surrendering his first shot of the day.
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The benefit was up to three as Luiten holed from 17 toes on the fifth however Lawrence bought up and down on the par-five sixth after which hit a beautiful strategy to 4 toes on the subsequent to trim the benefit again to one.
Lawrence missed the inexperienced on the eighth to quit a bogey however Luiten three-putted once more from the perimeter on the seventh and a Lawrence birdie after laying up on the par-five ninth had him tied on the high.
The curler coaster continued for Lawrence when he discovered sand and dropped a shot on the tenth and, after it had been a two-horse race over the entrance 9, there have been now 5 gamers inside three photographs of Luiten.
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Lawrence was again in a share of the lead after laying up on the par-five eleventh however back-to again three-putts dropped him two behind and unexpectedly, Kieffer was the closest challenger.
He had birdied the primary after a sensible strategy however gave the shot again on the the third earlier than making it birdies on all 4 days at each the sixth and ninth to flip in 34.
He continued his outstanding file on the par-fives with an eagle from 28 toes on the eleventh and an strategy to ten toes had him inside one earlier than he discovered water on the sixteenth and dropped a shot.
That gave Luiten his two-shot cushion again however it will not final for lengthy as Lawrence holed a outstanding 36-foot left-to-righter that went over a mound and thru the perimeter on the fifteenth earlier than he put his tee-shot to 5 toes on the seventeenth for an eighth birdie of the day.
There had been then gasps across the seventeenth inexperienced as Luiten missed from three toes and a 3rd three-putt of the day meant that, for the primary time in the spherical, the Dutchman was off the highest of the leaderboard and wanted a birdie up the final for a play-off after Lawrence completed his spherical with only a fifth par of the day.
Luiten hit a tree off the 18th tee which compelled him to lay up and whereas he had an opportunity to birdie from the perimeter, he missed from 25 toes and Lawrence was the victor.
Kieffer carded a 68, the identical rating as Meronk, with Hoshino signing for a 69 and Hillier recording a 71 to end a shot forward of Dutchman Daan Huizing, Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.
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