Sunday 5 November 2017 18:08, UK
Justin Rose produced a sensational finish to snatch a one-shot victory over Nicolas Colsaerts after a thrilling final round of the Turkish Airlines Open.
Rose and Colsaerts came to the 72nd hole tied at the top with clubhouse leader Dylan Frittelli on 17 under, and the former Ryder Cup team-mates both hit superb approaches to set up excellent birdie chances.
The Englishman took his chance with a confident stroke into the middle of the cup from 10 feet, but Colsaerts was unable to follow him in from two feet closer to leave Rose celebrating back-to-back victories which cut the deficit to Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood to less than 135,000 points.
With overnight leaders Shane Lowry and Kiradech Aphibarnrat both struggling on a final day delayed early on by the threat of lightning, Frittelli made the most significant move on the front nine as he chipped in three times in four holes in a sparkling run of five consecutive birdies.
The South African, a winner in Austria earlier this season, blotted his card at the tough 10th before bouncing back with birdies at 12 and 15, and he converted an excellent second to the last to card a 64 and set the clubhouse target.
But, in the group behind, Rose and Colsaerts both birdied 15 and 16, and the Belgian picked up his third in a row at the 17th to make it a three-way tie for the lead as the valiant challenge of Padraig Harrington faded down the stretch.
Rose was the man to step up as he capped a seven-birdie 65 in some style, while Colsaerts' 66 was not enough to break his five-year winless run on the European Tour.
Harrington, playing on a sponsor's invite this week, had earlier conjured up a magical par-save at the 10th before making a brilliant eagle at the 15th which briefly got him into a share of the lead, but the veteran was unable to better par over the final three holes as he settled for outright fourth on 16 under.
The Irishman's closing 67 lifted him ahead of Thorbjorn Olesen, who put up a stout defence of his title and suddenly entered the equation with three birdies in a row from the 15th before Frittelli, Rose and Colsaerts pulled away.
Eddie Pepperell's strong finish to the season continued as he secured his third consecutive top-10 finish with a 67 which included an eagle at the 15th, while Aphibarnrat endured another final-day disappointment as he offset two birdies with a pair of bogeys in a 71.
Shane Lowry made only one birdie on the day and his round was summed up when he found water with an ambitious second to the long 15th which cost him a bogey-six.
Fleetwood, meanwhile, completed a bogey-free weekend with a three-under 68 to earn a tie for 23rd, and he will look to take advantage of Rose's absence from next week's Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa as he bids to be crowned European No 1 for the first time.
