European TourEuropean TourOman Open, Sami Valimaki, Brandon Stone, Cormac Sharvin

Valimaki claims breakthrough with playoff win over Stone in Oman

European TourEuropean TourOman Open, Sami Valimaki, Brandon Stone, Cormac Sharvin
Valimaki claims breakthrough with playoff win over Stone in Oman
Sami Valimaki. Picture: Getty Images

Sami Valimaki. Picture: Getty Images

Rookie Sami Valimaki dramatically birdied the last to force a playoff before defeating Brandon Stone with a par at in a third extra hole to lift the Oman Open in just his sixth European Tour start.

The Finn (21) was outside the top 100 after day one at Al Mouj Golf, but a stunning 64 in round three put him alongside Stone in a six-way tie for the lead with 18 holes to play.

In difficult, breezy conditions by the coast, both Stone and Valimaki had held the lead on their own during the final day, but it was Frenchman Adrien Saddier who set the clubhouse target at 12 under.

Stone celebrated wildly as he holed a 20 footer on the last to get to edge clear of the field on 13-under.

But as he watched the coverage in the recorder’s area, he saw Valimaki hole from similar range at the 18th to force extra holes with a closing 70.

The duo halved the 18th in pars twice but when Stone pulled his approach well left of the green on their third trip down the 18th and failed to get up and down, Valimaki squeezed home a three-footer for a winning par.

The big Finn had a stunning 2019 on the Pro Golf Tour, winning four times including three consecutive starts at the end of the season. 

He claimed his card at the Qualifying School, and after securing a first top ten at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, he is now set to jump from 372nd to around 160th in the world.

"It's awesome," Valimaki said moments after his win. "There are not many words to say, it's unbelievable. After the ninth hole when I made a double I knew that the tenth hole is good and I had to make a birdie on that.

"I didn't make a really good par on 11, and after that bogey, I felt like, 'okay this is gone'. But then I just grinded, made three birdies and on the last, an awesome birdie

"I just needed to hit the fairways and the greens, it doesn't matter how long you leave yourself but you have to be on the green and get the chance to make the putt.

"I am feeling relaxed because I managed to get the birdies and gave myself that opportunity to win. I thought I was going to miss the putt on the last in regulation it but thank god it went to the hole and gave me the chance to win the tournament.

"It is great that more Finnish golfers are doing well in the sport and golf is getting more popular there in Finland."

Stone, who claimed his fourth European Tour win by winning the 2018 Scottish Open, was disappointed not to get his fifth victory.

"Obviously I'm a little disappointed, but I'm really proud with how I played over the last four days," he said. "It feels like I'm closer again. My confidence and swing are starting to come back. 

"I'm feeling really comfortable and unfortunately, I came up a little shy but the best thing about our job is I get to try again on Thursday.

"We're professional sportsmen and full of emotion which showed with my putt on the 18th in regulation. I knew I needed to hole that to give myself a sniff. I managed to get it done. We leave it all out on the line, a lot of time and effort goes into this." 

Italian Guido Migliozzi and Finn Mikko Korhonen finished tied third on 11-under, two shots clear of Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares, South African George Coetzee, Danish teenager Rasmus Højgaard and England's Jordan Smith.

Ardglass rookie Cormac Sharvin (27) closed with a two-under 70 to tie for 36th on four-under, winning €10,658 to move inside the top 200 in the Race to Dubai. 

Oman Open, Al Mouj Golf (Par 72)

Detailed scores

Final result and earnings

275 S Valimaki (Fin) 74 67 64 70, B Stone (RSA) 67 71 67 70 (Valimaki won with a par at the 3rd extra hole, the 18th)

276 A Saddier (Fra) 72 68 67 69, 

277 G Migliozzi (Ita) 66 72 68 71, M Korhonen (Fin) 73 67 65 72, 

279 A Cañizares (Esp) 70 69 72 68, J Smith (Eng) 70 70 67 72, R Højgaard (Den) 67 68 70 74, G Coetzee (RSA) 68 73 72 66, 

280 C Sordet (Fra) 70 71 66 73, G Forrest (Sco) 70 73 69 68, M Kaymer (Ger) 73 69 67 71, L Gagli (Ita) 69 70 73 68, J Luiten (Ned) 69 69 67 75, C Syme (Sco) 73 70 69 68, R Fisher (Eng) 68 75 70 67, A Rozner (Fra) 71 70 70 69, 

281 R Roussel (Fra) 75 69 67 70, H Li (Chn) 73 69 68 71, M Jordan (Eng) 77 67 71 66, G Green (Mas) 71 70 73 67, S Norris (RSA) 72 71 70 68, T Lee (Kor) 67 75 70 69, N Colsaerts (Bel) 69 67 73 72, 

282 Z Lombard (RSA) 68 73 76 65, C Shinkwin (Eng) 69 70 66 77, P Waring (Eng) 70 73 68 71, S Chawrasia (Ind) 68 75 72 67, F Zanotti (Par) 69 70 71 72, 

283 S Gallacher (Sco) 68 67 74 74, M Kieffer (Ger) 72 72 73 66, K Samooja (Fin) 71 65 72 75, R McEvoy (Eng) 70 68 74 71, A Otaegui (Esp) 68 74 68 73, J Walters (RSA) 69 74 67 73, 

284 D Van Driel (Ned) 71 69 72 72, R Karlberg (Swe) 72 70 71 71, M Armitage (Eng) 72 72 71 69, Cormac Sharvin (Nir) 75 67 72 70, R Rock (Eng) 73 65 71 75, T Detry (Bel) 71 72 71 70, L De Jager (RSA) 69 72 70 73, 

285 S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 70 73 71, J Wang (Kor) 71 68 72 74, M Antcliff (Aus) 72 71 72 70, V Dubuisson (Fra) 68 75 69 73, C Paisley (Eng) 73 69 71 72, A Levy (Fra) 69 75 71 70, B Hebert (Fra) 71 72 70 72, 

286 J Winther (Den) 69 72 69 76, A Chesters (Eng) 73 70 74 69, E Molinari (Ita) 70 72 72 72, J Donaldson (Wal) 71 73 71 71, 

287 R Bland (Eng) 72 71 69 75, A Meronk (Pol) 73 71 71 72, N Højgaard (Den) 73 71 71 72, B Stow (Eng) 73 69 73 72, C Hill (Sco) 73 68 74 72, J Morrison (Eng) 74 70 72 71, 

288 J Veerman (USA) 72 70 73 73, S Brown (Eng) 69 74 71 74, 

289 J Sjöholm (Swe) 72 70 71 76, L Van Meijel (Ned) 72 72 71 74, A Cockerill (Can) 69 73 70 77, 

290 P Larrazábal (Esp) 73 70 74 73, D Fichardt (RSA) 74 69 73 74, 

291 S Hend (Aus) 70 72 72 77, D Burmester (RSA) 73 71 73 74, R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 70 73 73 75, J Singh Brar (Eng) 71 73 73 74, 

292 S Crocker (USA) 72 71 71 78, 

293 B Poke (Den) 71 73 72 77, 

294 A Pavan (Ita) 71 72 70 81.