Mixed day for the Irish in Kenya
Lorenzo Dagli. Picture: IMG Kenya
Michael Hoey and Cormac Sharvin finished tied for 18th behind Italy’s Lorenzo Gagli in the Barclays Kenya Open but West Waterford’s Gary Hurley had a day to forget.
Gagli (32) secured his first victory when he birdied the 18th to force a playoff with Sweden's Jens Fahrbring, then parred the third extra hole to claim the €80,000 winner's cheque
Fahrbring shot a four-under 67 to set the target at 11-under before Gagli birdied the 18th for a 68 to match him, then won with a par three at the third extra hole.
Hoey shot 70 and Sharvin a 69 to share 18th on six-under, earning €5,379 each.
But Hurley, who was tied eighth starting the day after a third round 66, closed with a 79 to finish tied 54th on one over, earning just €1,775.
Fahbring came closest to winning on their first attempt at the par three 13th, with a birdie putt from ten feet just coming up short – both men went on to make par.
Following another par by each player on their second try at the 191-yard hole, it was Fahrbring who came unstuck with his tee shot finding the water just short of the green.
Although Fahrbring did go on to make bogey by holing a testing 15-foot putt, Gagli was left with two putts from the centre of the green to take the victory.
With his last victory coming 11 years ago on the satellite Alps Tour, Gagli was delighted to be taking home the trophy and a pay cheque for €80,000 – the largest on the Challenge Tour all season.
“I have no words because it is my first victory,” he said. “It feels amazing to do it with the same tee shot, the same game, the same everything and I just stayed really patient on the golf course.
“It was really good to play with Nico Geyger today as we are really good friends and we stayed patient but still very focused and I just played really, really well.
“The play-off was very tough. It is perhaps bad to win like this with Jens making a mistake but it’s golf and I just want to say congratulations to Jens too as it was a great tournament.
“I hit my seven iron on that hole four times today, and although I was never able to hit a really good shot I held on and won!
“I am due to play on the European Tour a lot this season through my category but winning here is definitely a good problem to have. After winning like this I am so excited for the rest of the season.”
With victory in Kenya Gagli jumps straight to the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings with 80,000 points, while Fahrbring sits in second place with 55,000 points.
Barclays Kenya Open, Muthaiga Golf Club, Nairobi, Kenya (Par 71)
273 L Gagli (Ita) 68 68 69 68, J Fahrbring (Swe) 72 70 64 67 (Gagli won with par on 3rd extra hole),
274 P Mejow (Ger) 67 72 64 71, K Samooja (Fin) 71 70 65 68, N Geyger (Chi) 69 68 68 69,
275 S Soderberg (Swe) 70 65 66 74, O Bekker (RSA) 74 69 63 69,
276 V Riu (Fra) 68 70 73 65, L Canter (Eng) 69 68 70 69, T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 70 71 66 69, M Schwab (Aut) 76 66 65 69, A Karlsson (Swe) 67 69 72 68, M Orrin (Eng) 65 71 69 71,
277 K Johannessen (Nor) 67 67 72 71, B Evans (Eng) 69 67 70 71, R McGowan (Eng) 76 67 69 65, K Koivu (Fin) 70 69 69 69,
278 Michael Hoey (Nir) 66 72 70 70, V Perez (Fra) 70 72 66 70, J Quesne (Fra) 70 69 72 67, G Stal (Fra) 69 69 70 70, O Lengden (Swe) 71 72 63 72, M Schmitt (Ger) 67 65 71 75, Cormac Sharvin (Nir) 71 70 68 69,
279 N Cullen (Aus) 71 68 69 71, E Johansen (Nor) 70 72 70 67, S Forsström (Swe) 66 69 70 74,
280 S Manley (Wal) 70 73 69 68, J Ahlers (RSA) 66 73 72 69, J Stalter (Fra) 67 71 73 69, D Huizing (Ned) 70 70 70 70, J Munro (Aus) 69 74 67 70, M Baldwin (Eng) 67 71 72 70, P Karmis (RSA) 72 70 71 67,
281 M Haastrup (Den) 71 70 69 71, D Perrier (Fra) 70 67 73 71, H Leon (Chi) 72 70 69 70,
282 N Von Dellingshausen (Ger) 67 70 70 75, A Tadini (Ita) 70 73 70 69, T Linard (Fra) 73 69 69 71, D Stewart (Sco) 69 68 73 72, G Forrest (Sco) 73 68 67 74, P Figueiredo (Por) 69 70 76 67,
283 S Heisele (Ger) 74 68 67 74, R Kellett (Sco) 65 73 72 73, M Ford (Eng) 71 71 70 71, J Girrbach (Sui) 71 68 73 71, B Ritthammer (Ger) 72 67 74 70, N Johansson (Swe) 72 71 67 73, A Michael (RSA) 68 72 74 69, M Nixon (Eng) 67 73 68 75, R Langasque (Fra) 70 73 67 73,
284 F Aguilar (Chi) 69 72 74 69,
285 Gary Hurley (Irl) 71 69 66 79, A Rozner (Fra) 70 71 70 74, R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 68 73 71 73, M Madsen (Den) 73 70 72 70,
286 M Armitage (Eng) 75 68 70 73, M Ovesen (Den) 75 68 69 74,
287 D Law (Sco) 69 71 74 73, J Senior (Eng) 72 69 74 72, C Blomstrand (Swe) 70 69 78 70,
288 J Lima (Por) 68 75 78 67, M Iten (Sui) 73 70 69 76, N Schietekat (RSA) 70 72 70 76,
289 P Maddy (Eng) 71 71 73 74, J Doherty (Sco) 70 71 74 74, J Walters (RSA) 68 68 75 78,
290 R Charania (Ken) 71 71 74 74, O Lindell (Fin) 75 66 78 71,
292 M Mediratta (Ken) 69 70 79 74,
295 R Van West (Ned) 76 67 75 77, J Sjöholm (Swe) 67 73 74 81,
