HONG KONG (Reuters) - Australian journeyman Sam Brazel prevailed in a tense final hole shoot-out with runnerup Rafa Cabrera Bello to win the Hong Kong Open by a stroke and capture his first European Tour title on Sunday.
The 480th-ranked Brazel struck a sublime approach shot from 175 yards to within eight feet of the flag and calmly rolled in the winning birdie after his Spanish rival missed a longer putt by inches on a glorious afternoon at Fanling.
Doused with champagne and mobbed by his caddy and friends, Brazel's victory in the co-sanctioned event earned the 37-year-old 311,844 euros ($329,000) and a two-year exemption on the Tour.