10/19/2014

Hong Kong Third for Deise Phelan

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Kevin Phelan hit three birdies in a row from the 16th to the 18th on the final day of the Hong Kong Open to finish on 11 under - two shots behind Hend and Que - to secure third place.

Australian Scott Hend edged Angelo Que in a play-off to clinch his maiden European Tour title with a par on the first extra hole enough to steer the 41-year-old past the Filipino, who missed the green on the 18th and then over-hit his chip.

Que's fourth-round 66 forced the play-off after an intense back-nine battle, which ended with his birdie on the 18th tying things up with Hend at 13 under par.

But the 35-year-old will be left lamenting the fact that his three bogeys on the day - to Hend's two - and a costly second-round 69 ultimately cost him victory.

Aged 41, Hend is the oldest first-time European Tour title winner since Cesar Monasterio, who was 42 when he won the 2006 As St Omer Open.

He was understandably thrilled to secure victory, but he felt bad for Que after his bogey sealed the play-off.

"I felt quite calm, the only thing is that hole at the end you never want to have a go at the pin because you can make a bogey quite easily so I wasn't really sure how to play it," Hend told the European Tour website.

"Unfortunately Angelo made a bogey, I would have rather one of us made a birdie because he's a great guy and it would be nice to earn the win on a positive note. But I'll take the win and I'm ecstatic."

Overnight leader Marcus Fraser's double bogey on the opening hole blew the title race open and he struggled to get back in the mix with back-to-back bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes.

Englishman Mark Foster's double-bogey on the ninth dented his progress and he finished one shot behind Phelan, while Fraser ended up in a four-strong cluster four shots off the pace after a disappointing final round of 72.

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