Moscow, Russia (SportsNetwork.com) - David Horsey made par on the first playoff hole Sunday to beat Damien McGrane and win the Russian Open.
Horsey closed with an even-par 72, while McGrane rallied with a 6-under 66 as they both finished at 13-under-par 275 at Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club.
The duo returned to the 18th for the playoff, and both players found the fairway off the tee. McGrane knocked his approach over the green and into a bunker, while Horsey's second shot stopped 25 feet short of the hole.
McGrane blasted to about 10 feet. After Horsey's birdie try stayed above ground, McGrane missed his par putt and tapped in for bogey.
Horsey then kicked in his par effort for his third European Tour title.
"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," Horsey said. "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 realized I was three behind and needed to do something drastic quite quickly."
Scott Jamieson bogeyed the 17th to fall out of a tie for the lead and parred the last to end one back at minus-12 after closing with a 69.
Sam Hutsby carded a 4-under 68 to end alone in fourth at 11-under 277. Peter Whiteford, who shared the third-round lead with Horsey, stumbled to a 3-over 75 and finished in fifth at minus-10.
Whiteford and Horsey shared the lead at the start of the day. Horsey bogeyed five and six after Whiteford bogeyed the second and sixth, and they both were back at minus-11 and tied for the lead.
Horsey seemingly took control of the tournament with a long birdie putt on the seventh. He followed with an up-and-down birdie on the par-5 eighth and that moved him two clear of Whiteford, who played the final 10 holes in 1-over par to end three back.
After three straight pars around the turn, Horsey hit a bad drive on the par-4 12th into the long grass. He took a drop, then hacked his third down the fairway. He chipped to 10 feet, but 2-putted for double-bogey.
Horsey's approach on the 14th buried in a greenside bunker and he could only blast out into the rough. He got up and down for bogey to fall to 10-under, where he was two behind Jamieson. That was the first time since early in round one that Horsey was out of the lead.
Jamieson followed birdies at three and four with bogeys on the next two holes. He then converted three birdies in a 4-hole span from the eighth to jump to 12-under. After a bogey on 12, Jamieson birdied the 14th and led by one.
The Scotsman birdie the 16th, but found water with his second at the 17th and that led to a bogey, which dropped him one back.
Meanwhile, McGrane was making a run. After four birdies in the first 10 holes, he parred four in a row from the 11th. McGrane drained an 8-foot birdie putt on the 15th to kick off a run of three straight birdies.
That spurt moved McGrane to 14-under. He found sand off the 18th tee and just blasted into the fairway. McGrane played his third to eight feet, but missed the par putt for the win.
"I played lovely all week, so I'm very pleased with my week. I'm a little disappointed not to do better in the playoff there, but I've hit good shots all week and putted reasonably well," McGrane stated. "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."
Horsey, who was in the group behind McGrane, birdied 15 to get back to minus-11. He missed the green at the par-5 17th, but chipped in for eagle and a share of the lead with McGrane, who was playing the last. Horsey got up and down for par at the last to force the playoff.
"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," said Horsey. "I was trying to make birdie at the last. I didn't realize Damien had dropped one, but I managed to get up and down there and was fortunate to win the playoff as well."
NOTES: Horsey, who posted his fifth top-10 finish in 16 starts, earned 166,660 euros for the win ... His last victory was in 2011 at the Trophee Hassan II ... The tour is in the United States for the next two weeks for the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship ... Tiger Woods will defend his title at the WGC next week.
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