Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang edged a thrilling play-off against Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy on Sunday to capture the UBS Hong Kong Open and secure his first victory on the European Tour.
The Asian Tour regular had failed to sink a birdie putt from six feet on the last during regulation to enter a three-way play-off with McIlroy and Francesco Molinari of Italy.
Molinari could only par the first play-off hole on the par-four 18th while Lin and McIlroy both birdied meaning the two would face off again..
McIlroy, 19, sent his tee shot into a crowd of spectators to the left of the fairway but recovered to send his approach shot onto the edge of the green.
Lin, meanwhile, hit the fairway from the tee before superbly hitting his second shot to within a foot of the pin and when McIlroy failed to putt for a birdie, the 34-year-old applied the easy finish to become the first Asian in a decade to win the tournament.
"To hit two tees in a play-off, you can't beat that," said McIlroy, who failed to make the cut in Hong Kong last year at the start of his first full season on the European Tour.
"It was not meant to be but it still has been a great week for me. I couldn't have done much more."
Lin, meanwhile, admitted he was unable to put into words exactly how much his first European Tour victory meant, with the win earning him almost Ј280, 000.
"I'm still smiling," he said. "This is my first European Tour win and my feelings cannot be described.
"With this win I can re-assure myself that what I am doing is right."
Lin had started the final round a stroke behind overnight leader Oliver Wilson but a three-under-par 67 today meant he finished at 15 under 265 for the tournament.
McIlroy and Molinari also finished 15 under overall after both shot 65s but take second place following their defeat in the play-off.
Pablo Larrazabal, the 2008 European Tour Rookie of the Year, shot a three-under-par 67 to finish in a share of fourth place alongside Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand, who carded 65.
There was heartache for Wilson once again, however, as the 28-year-old hit three successive bogeys from the 15th to drop to 12 under for the tournament and leave him still searching for a maiden European Tour victory.
The Englishman tied for sixth alongside German veteran Bernhard Langer, Malaysian Iain Steel, David Gleeson of Australia and South African Richard Sterne.
Graeme McDowell and Oliver Fisher were amongst a group of four a further stroke behind, while Colin Montgomerie's challenge faded as the round wore on and the Scot finished tied 15th at 10 under.
Lin, meanwhile, admitted he was unable to put into words exactly how much his first European Tour victory meant, with the win earning him almost Ј280, 000.
"I'm still smiling," he said. "This is my first European Tour win and my feelings cannot be described.
"With this win I can re-assure myself that what I am doing is right."
Lin had started the final round a stroke behind overnight leader Oliver Wilson but a three-under-par 67 today meant he finished at 15 under 265 for the tournament.
McIlroy and Molinari also finished 15 under overall after both shot 65s but take second place following their defeat in the play-off.
Pablo Larrazabal, the 2008 European Tour Rookie of the Year, shot a three-under-par 67 to finish in a share of fourth place alongside Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand, who carded 65.
There was heartache for Wilson once again, however, as the 28-year-old hit three successive bogeys from the 15th to drop to 12 under for the tournament and leave him still searching for a maiden European Tour victory.
The Englishman tied for sixth alongside German veteran Bernhard Langer, Malaysian Iain Steel, David Gleeson of Australia and South African Richard Sterne.
Graeme McDowell and Oliver Fisher were amongst a group of four a further stroke behind, while Colin Montgomerie's challenge faded as the round wore on and the Scot finished tied 15th at 10 under.
Collated final round scores & totals in the European Tour UBS Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, Hong Kong
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 70):
265 Wen-Tang Lin (Tai) 65 69 64 67 (Wen-Tang Lin won at the second play-off hole) Francesco Molinari (Ita) 66 67 67 65, Rory McIlroy 70 64 66 65
267 Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 66 66 70 65, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 69 67 64 67
268 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 69 67 63 69, David Gleeson (Aus) 72 65 65 66, Oliver Wilson 66 66 65 71, Iain Steel (Mal) 68 68 66 66, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 64 69 69 66
269 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 63 66 69, Graeme McDowell 71 68 65 65, Angelo Que (Phi) 68 68 67 66, Oliver Fisher 67 65 73 64
270 Colin Montgomerie 68 65 68 69, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 64 71 69 66
271 John Daly (USA) 68 68 73 62, Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 70 69 64 68
272 Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor) 70 67 66 69, Bradley Dredge 69 70 65 68, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 71 68 66 67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70 70 66 66, Johan Edfors (Swe) 68 65 73 66
273 Peter Hanson (Swe) 67 70 69 67, Gareth Maybin 71 67 68 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 69 71 62, Ben Leong (Mal) 69 70 65 69, David Frost (Rsa) 69 68 67 69
274 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 71 69 68 66, Taichiro Kiyota (Jpn) 72 67 70 65, Paul Lawrie 69 70 69 66, David Lynn 71 67 65 71, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 71 69 70 64
275 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 69 66 68 72, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 70 70 66 69, Darren Beck (Aus) 68 69 69 69, Paul Waring 72 68 66 69, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 62 73 70, Mark Brown (USA) 70 70 66 69, Gavin Flint (Aus) 68 70 69 68, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 66 70 72
276 Tony Carolan (Aus) 70 67 72 67, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 67 72 67 70, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 70 66 70 70, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68 71 68, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 70 67 67 72, Sattaya Supupramai (Tha) 71 69 70 66
277 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 69 70 68 70, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 71 69 67 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 68 70 71, Taco Remkes (Ned) 69 70 69 69, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 70 67 73 67
278 Ter-Chang Wang (Tpe) 66 71 69 72, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 65 72 72 69, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 68 70 69, Zaw Moe (Kor) 72 68 70 68, David Horsey 70 70 71 67, Jean Van de velde (Fra) 73 67 70 68, Jamie Donaldson 75 63 72 68, Unho Park (Aus) 71 68 67 72, Paul McGinley 71 69 67 71, Wen Teh Lu (Tpe) 68 69 71 70
279 Anthony Wall 72 68 72 67, Artemio-hiromasa Murakami (Phi) 67 70 72 70, Phillip Archer 72 67 71 69, Scott Strange (Aus) 71 68 71 69, Chinarat Phadungsil (Tha) 67 71 70 71, David Bransdon (Aus) 70 68 70 71, Martin Rominger (Swi) 71 66 68 74
280 Anthony Kang (USA) 70 70 67 73, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 69 68 74 69, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 70 70 70 70, David Dixon 68 69 72 71, Joong Kyung Mo (Kor) 69 71 71 69
281 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 70 70 74 67, Shun yat jason Hak (Hkg) 70 70 73 68
282 Marcus Both (Aus) 68 72 73 69, Wook-Soon Kang (Kor) 69 69 69 75, Jong Yul Suk (Kor) 70 69 74 69
283 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 69 71 72
284 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 69 71 73
288 Scott Drummond 68 70 76 74
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