Wang Jeunghun denies Nacho Elvira in Rabat play-off

Korean earns maiden European Tour title after sinking 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole

Jeunghun Wang won his maiden European Tour title in Morocco. Photograph: Getty
Jeunghun Wang won his maiden European Tour title in Morocco. Photograph: Getty

Korea's Wang Jeunghun claimed his first European Tour title in amazing fashion by beating Spain's Nacho Elvira in a play-off for the Hassan Trophy in Rabat.

Wang birdied the 18th to force extra holes and repeated the trick twice in the play-off at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam after he and Elvira had finished tied on five under par, a shot ahead of England's Robert Rock and France's Clement Bernardo.

Elvira had birdied three of his last six holes to card a closing 69 and set a clubhouse target which only Wang was able to match with a birdie from 15 feet on the 72nd hole.

The players returned to the 18th for extra holes and Elvira looked set for victory when he hit a stunning fairway wood onto the green on the 531-yard par five and Wang missed the green, only for Wang to chip on and hole from 35 feet.

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Elvira was unable to convert his eagle attempt and then missed the green with his approach at the second time of asking, leaving Wang clear to make a winning birdie.

"I'm so excited right now, I don't think I will sleep tonight," said the 20-year-old, who was second in the Indian Open in March and saw fellow Korean Soomin Lee win in China a fortnight ago.

“Soomin is a good friend of mine and I am so happy that he won the Shenzhen International. I win also so maybe I’ll party with Soomin.”

Asked about Elvira’s approach to the first play-off hole, Wang added on Sky Sports: “That shot was really fantastic and then I miss on the right so I was just trying to make a birdie with a hard chip. Actually I didn’t think about birdie, I didn’t think about anything, I just putted and it went in.”

Despite a final round of 74 Paul Dunne crept up the leaderboard on Sunday, finishing tied for 16th place and three over for the competition. Meanwhile Peter Lawries's miserable weekend continued as he followed up Saturday's 77with a closing 78 to finish seven over par.