Rozner rallies to win Golf in Dubai title

Frenchman Antoine Rozner claimed his first European Tour title at the Golf in Dubai Championship after firing a final round 64 for a two-stroke victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The 27-year-old Challenge Tour graduate was neck-and-neck with Andy Sullivan down the stretch, but it was a superlative second shot into the par-five 18th which sealed the deal as a two-putt birdie took the European Tour rookie to an uncatchable 25-under-par total.

Sullivan, who had led the field after each of the opening three rounds, had a disappointing day as two bogeys contributed to his worst round of the week, a two-under-par 70, which left him in a share of second alongside Matt Wallace, Mike Lorenzo Vera and Fanrceso Laporta.

Wallace enjoyed a stunning back nine which comprised five birdies and four pars to sign for a 68, while Lorenzo Vera’s second successive 65 meant he joined the English duo on 23 under, as did Italy’s Laporta, who finished with four birdies in a row for a closing 66 and the best result of his European Tour career.

Rozner, who won twice on the 2019 Challenge Tour to earn his European Tour card, said: “So many feelings. I’ve been close twice this year in Mauritius and in Valderrama, I couldn’t close it out, so I’m just very happy with how I played this week and especially today. A 64 on a Sunday is always a pretty good score so to get it done in this fashion was a big deal for me.

“To be honest, I only knew I was the leader when I was on the 18th green, and I think that actually helped me a little bit, as I didn’t want to know what was going on. I told my caddie I don’t want to know, we just need to keep pushing and doing what we’re doing, keep being aggressive and I think that was a good strategy. I’m really glad that last putt was really close, otherwise it would have been a long three- or four-footer.”

The win automatically qualified Rozner for next week’s DP World Tour Championship. He said: “I haven’t played in any Rolex Series events this season, so for me to play in the biggest tournament of the year is a big deal. All the top players will be there, so I’m very excited to compete at the next level and I think it will be very challenging and interesting for me.”

For the final leaderboard, click here. 

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