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David Horsey sensationally forced and won a play-off with Damien McGrane to take the M2M Russian Open at Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club.
Horsey had been around the top of the leaderboard for much of the week and was in front when a double bogey at the 12th looked to have cost him victory.
It seemed even more costly when McGrane made three straight birdies from the 15th to move clear in the lead.
However, a bogey at the last, his only dropped shot on Sunday, combined with Horsey chipping in for eagle at the 17th gave the Englishman another chance.
Horsey duly made par on the 18th to end on 13 under and make the Irishman play the final hole again with him on a gloriously sunny afternoon.
Another par four was enough to give him a third European Tour triumph as McGrane was unable to recover from hitting his second shot into a bunker behind the green.
Horsey’s previous victories came in the 2010 BMW International Open and 2011 Trophée Hassan II, also winning the latter in a play-off, and he showed his mettle to deprive McGrane a second European Tour victory.
It was hard on McGrane, whose win at the 2008 Volvo China Open was one of 31 top ten finishes during over a decade on the Tour.
For Horsey, ranked 198th going into this tournament, it continues an impressive 2014 that has seen five top ten finishes from 16 events.
The 29 year old went round in level par on Sunday, responding to bogeys on the fifth and sixth with birdies on the seventh and eighth.
His double bogey on the 12th came after a wayward tee shot and he dropped another on the 14th before making a gain at the next and chipping in from the edge of the green on the 17th.
Horsey said: “I knew the chip on 17 had to go in. I knew by that point that I was three behind so I needed it to go in. This is a very special win.”
Speaking of earlier in his round, he added: “I had no idea how well Damien was playing because I wasn’t looking at boards all day. In hindsight that’s probably a mistake I’ll look to correct next time, but I was just trying to stick to my own game and stay focused on myself.
“I didn’t play that great today – it was a bit scrappy and I wasn’t holing the putts – but I managed to get the job done in the end.”
Horsey also said: “I’m relieved really – that’s the word that sums it up. It was quite similar to my last win, in Morocco, where I made a bit of a mess of a couple of holes on the back nine.
“I didn’t know where I was in the tournament until the 17th. I hit it through the back of the green there and then realised I was three behind and needed to do something drastic quite quickly.
“I managed to chip in there and was trying to make birdie at the last. I didn’t realise Damien had dropped one, but I managed to get up and down there and was fortunate to win the play-off as well.”
McGrane’s near flawless round of 66 featured birdies at the second, fourth, eighth and tenth ahead of his three in three on the closing holes.
A tricky putt on the last that slipped to the right of the hole opened the door for Horsey, who earned 166,660 euros for his success.
Scott Jamieson of Scotland was one shot behind on 12 under, ahead of England’s Sam Hutsby on 11 under and, one shot further back, Peter Whieteford, the joint overnight leader with Horsey.
McGrane said: “I played lovely all week so I’m very pleased with my week.
“I’m a little disappointed not to do better in the play-off there, but I’ve hit good shots all week and putted reasonably well.
“All in all I’m very positive and it’s good for me mentally as well. I can push on for the rest of the season with my card secure.
“There are a lot of good events before the end of the year and this has given me a lot of confidence going into them.”
