Victor Perez produced a dramatic finish in the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to overcome a high-class chasing pack at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.
The Frenchman held a narrow one-shot lead in the closing stages on Sunday afternoon before holing out from a bunker at the 17th for a birdie to stretch his advantage to two.
And even though he ran into trouble at the 18th, a bogey there was enough to secure a one-shot win as he closed with a 66 to finish the tournament on 18 under par, with Australian Min Woo Lee and Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg sharing second place on 17 under par.
Perez entered the final day one stroke back but made an excellent start as he made the turn in four under and continued his charge with back-to-back birdies to begin the back nine. He responded to a dropped shot at the 14th with a birdie at the 15th before wild scenes erupted on the 17th as the 30-year-old’s sublime bunker shot found the bottom of the cup.
That hole-out ultimately sealed his victory.
Pádraig Harrington finished fourth on 16 under par after posting rounds of 64 and 67 over the weekend, while Alex Noren and Francesco Molinari shared fifth on 14 under.
