Lismore’s Sam Brazel has punched his ticket to the European Tour with a stunning victory at the co-sanctioned UBS Hong Kong Open.
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The 37-year-old made a thrilling birdie at the 72nd hole to take the title by a shot from Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello.
The likeable journeyman, who has played the last three seasons on the Asian Tour, will now ply his trade on the world’s second biggest circuit for the next two years.
"It’s been a long time coming," Brazel said after the win.
"I’ve been playing good. It’s just been a bit of a struggle with the old irons and my man, Adam, set me up with a new set of bats, and it’s all sort of turned around. This is the fruit.
"I’d love to come over to Europe. It will be a great privilege."
Brazel began the final round sharing the lead with Cabrera-Bello and both struggled on the front nine to make the turn 2-over.
But three back nine birdies apiece sent the pair to the 18th hole tied for the lead and it was Brazel who produced in the crunch.
Admitting later he hadn’t hit his second shot as intended, Brazel nonetheless holed a nervy, eight foot birdie putt to claim his first Professional title.
"I was very lucky. That wasn’t the greatest second shot in there but it ended up good and the rest is history," he said.
While Brazel was celebrating a career changing win Andrew Dodt left the Fanling Club House with mixed emotions after a second consecutive near miss.
Dodt came to the 18th hole 5-under for his final round sharing the lead but hit a wild tee shot which left him no choice but to chip out from behind trees.
The subsequent bogey dropped him out of the lead and while Brazel’s birdie shortly after would have sealed his fate regardless he will be disappointed with the finish.
However, the positives of the past fortnight far outweigh the negatives for Dodt who has turned around a poor run of form with a rekindled attitude to the game.
Dispensing with trying to attain technical perfection, his new found approach of simply playing the game is paying dividends and he will rightly be excited for the 2017 season to get underway.
Also pleased with their week’s work in Hong Kong will be Marcus Fraser and Jason Scrivener who both finished T10 to end the year on a high note.
Fraser posted his best score of the week Sunday with a 4-under 66 to move up 29 places while Scrivener’s even par 70 saw him move the other way by two spots.
Brett Rumford and Wade Ormsby were part of a four way tie for 25th while the last of the Australians to make the cut, Scott Hend and Terry Pilkadaris, were T51.
Hend’s finish was good enough to secure the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit title, the first Australian to achieve the feat and just the fourth player to top the US$1 million in earnings.
Hend posted two victories in 2016 and finished the year with US$1,004,792.
Scott Barr, Kalem Richardson, Adam Groom and Unho Park all missed the cut but Barr still managed to claim the last card for 2017 by finishing 62nd on the Order of Merit.
It’s the second consecutive year Barr has claimed the last card but the news wasn’t so positive for Richardson, Groom and Park who will all need to go back to Q-School if they hope to play again in 2017.
