Hend edges out Elvira in Maybank Championship playoff
Scott Hend with the Maybank Championship trophy. Picture: Getty Images
Pádraig Harrington finished a creditable tied 30th in his return from injury as Australia's Scott Hend claimed his third European Tour title with a dramatic playoff win over Spain's Nacho Elvira in the weather-affected Maybank Championship.
Back in action for the first time since last November after breaking a bone in his left wrist, Harrington made six birdies in a final round 69 to finish ten shots behind the winner on five-under par.
Hend (45) began the fourth round three shots behind overnight leader Elvira before going out in five-under 31 to take the lead.
He was stroke ahead of Elvira as they played the par-five 18th before the weather gods intervened.
The heavens opened over Saujana Golf and Country Club with the first clap of thunder sounding just as Elvira was playing his third to the green.
And just like that, the heavens open ☔#MaybankChampionship pic.twitter.com/EhC8v5lsxg
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 24, 2019
He was clearly put off and left himself a 30 footer but had to wait an hour and 40 minutes to take his birdie putt to try to tie with Hend, who shot a 67, on 15-under par.
"What a putt by Nacho," Hend said. "If I were to go out there and hit that putt you would say you would hole it one in ten times. The spirit we played in today was great too. He's such a nice guy. We were both egging each other on to play well. That's the way we want to play golf."
Hend got a lucky break when his tee shot at the first extra hole hit the base of a tree and landed on the fairway, while Elvira's ball went straight into a fairway bunker.
The Australian hit another tree with his second shot but holed his birdie putt from three feet to clinch the title and banish memories of previous play-off defeats at the Omega European Masters in both 2016 and 2017.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!@nachoelvira87 has drained it! pic.twitter.com/O1lfYU5FHQ
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 24, 2019
“I had to get off to a fast start as I was three shots behind," Hend said. "That's all there was to it. I was fortunate enough to turn in five under and on the back nine I shot even par. Can't ask for much more on a Sunday when the golf course is playing quite tricky.
“I'm a grinder and a fighter. So is my caddie Tony. We both have the same mental attitude. It doesn't matter how old we are; we work hard at what we do. Just takes a bit of luck to win. Obviously, I had a bit of luck on the playoff hole. If you don't have any luck, you won't win."
Elvira's runner-up finish was his second in as many starts after he ended the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in a tie for second in his last outing.
“I tried to give it all on the playoff hole," the four-time Challenge Tour winner said. "I just missed my driver a little bit and gave myself a little chance to make birdie, but I'm happy.
“It was thunder in a bad moment, but the gods did give me one back with that putt. I think I played great all week, solid, consistent; I'm very happy with that. I'm happy that my game has finally shown a little bit of consistency.
“Lifting trophies is the point, that's what we try to do every week. Hopefully, it works out soon.”
Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand was another two shots back in third place after mixing five birdies with two bogeys in his closing round of 69, with American Johannes Veerman in fourth at 12-under par.
Oliver Fisher of England and Germany’s Max Kieffer were a further shot back on 11 under par, while four-time Major Champion Ernie Els secured his 300th career top-ten finish after closing with a round of 71 to sit amongst a group of six players in a tie for seventh at 10-under par.
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Maybank Championship, Saujana Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur
273 S Hend (Aus) 69 70 67 67, N Elvira (Esp) 65 72 66 70
Hend won with a birdie at the first extra hole
275 J Janewattananond (Tha) 66 72 68 69,
276 J Veerman (USA) 72 69 69 66,
277 O Fisher (Eng) 70 70 68 69, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 67 68 71,
278 B Hebert (Fra) 69 73 65 71, F Zanotti (Par) 72 72 66 68, J Smith (Eng) 74 68 71 65, E Els (RSA) 68 70 69 71, D Fichardt (RSA) 76 65 71 66, A Sullivan (Eng) 72 70 67 69,
279 D Lipsky (USA) 72 66 67 74, R Fisher (Eng) 72 71 66 70,
280 D Burmester (RSA) 68 70 73 69, E Van Rooyen (RSA) 71 69 72 68, S Rahman (Ban) 70 71 68 71, M Kawamura (Jpn) 69 70 73 68, N Fung (Mas) 68 73 69 70,
281 C S (Ind) 75 69 68 69, L De Jager (RSA) 71 69 69 72, J Suri (USA) 69 71 73 68, J Campillo (Esp) 70 73 70 68, M Southgate (Eng) 74 69 68 70,
282 A Que (Phi) 66 77 73 66, T Jaidee (Tha) 72 71 70 69, R Karlsson (Swe) 71 73 74 64, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 69 75 68 70, L Herbert (Aus) 69 69 73 71,
283 G Green (Mas) 74 70 69 70, S Sharma (Ind) 71 68 74 70, M Schwab (Aut) 66 75 70 72, S Norris (RSA) 71 71 72 69, P Peterson (USA) 70 68 73 72, Pádraig Harrington (Irl) 70 73 71 69,
284 M Pavon (Fra) 73 69 72 70, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 69 74 70 71, K Broberg (Swe) 72 70 71 71, R Fox (Nzl) 71 73 70 70, D Masrin (Ina) 69 68 76 71,
285 H Ryu (Kor) 74 70 73 68, G Migliozzi (Ita) 71 68 73 73, S Chawrasia (Ind) 69 74 70 72, T Pieters (Bel) 67 69 78 71, Z Murray (Aus) 68 71 73 73, K Kitayama (USA) 70 71 72 72, R Paratore (Ita) 73 71 73 68,
286 V Madappa (Ind) 70 72 70 74, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 72 72 72 70, G Coetzee (RSA) 72 71 72 71, A Wu (Chn) 71 73 73 69, M Fraser (Aus) 65 77 72 72, P Meesawat (Tha) 68 71 72 75, G Bhullar (Ind) 68 75 75 68,
287 T Detry (Bel) 70 71 76 70, R Rock (Eng) 73 71 72 71,
288 C Paisley (Eng) 71 71 74 72, M Choi (Kor) 71 73 74 70, M Lee (Aus) 73 71 73 71,
289 W Lin (Tpe) 73 70 74 72, P Saksansin (Tha) 68 74 76 71, S Vincent (Zim) 70 72 74 73, L Slattery (Eng) 72 71 73 73, J Todd (USA) 73 71 71 74, A Pavan (Ita) 69 71 73 76,
290 A Sandhu (Ind) 72 72 72 74, B Stone (RSA) 68 74 74 74, N Colsaerts (Bel) 70 74 78 68, R McEvoy (Eng) 70 74 73 73,
291 R Gouveia (Por) 69 73 74 75, P Tangkamolprasert (Tha) 72 69 74 76,
292 D Law (Sco) 73 71 74 74,
294 K Horne (RSA) 71 73 78 72,
295 M Shin (USA) 74 70 77 74.
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