Golf: Italy's Molinari wins Dunlop Phoenix
Posted: 22 November 2009 2316 hrs

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MIYAZAKI, Japan: Italy's Edoardo Molinari defeated Robert Karlsson of Sweden on the second play-off hole to win the Dunlop Phoenix men's golf tournament on Sunday.

Molinari's approach shot left him a one-metre birdie putt while Karlsson had four metres for a birdie on the hole.

Karlsson missed the shot and then Molinari duly sank it for the victory, which brought him the winner's cheque of 40 million yen (444,000 dollars).

"I think I played very well today. Also congratulations for Robert, because he played some fantastic golf," said Molinari, who is 18 and the top money earner on the European challenge tour this season.

"Today it was a hard round till the end and I was lucky to come out on top."

Starting the day with a one-stroke lead over Karlsson, Molinari carded two birdies and Karlsson four birdies on the front nine.

Karlsson, who last season became the first Swede to be the top money earner on the European tour, added two more birdies on the back nine, but Molinari birdied the 11th, 13th and 15th holes to catch up with the Swede.

Both had a chance to finish off before the play-off, with Karlsson's birdie putt stopping at the edge of the cup on the 17th hole and the two narrowly missing birdie putts on the 18th hole.

Molinari ended the round with five birdies for a 66 and Karlsson six birdies for a 65 for the four-round total of 13-under-par 271.

Shane Lowry of Ireland, who won the Irish Open as an amateur in May, shared third place with Japan's Hirofumi Miyase on 277, followed by Eddie Lee of New Zealand and Tadahiro Takayama on 278.

Three-time major winner Vijay Singh of Fiji hit a double bogey, three bogeys and two birdies for a 74 to share 31st place with seven other golfers on 286, including his compatriot Dinesh Chand. - AFP/de