Jon Rahm was chasing a fourth acciona Open de Espana victory; Angel Hidalgo defeated Rahm on the second extra play-off hole to claim a maiden DP World Tour victory on home soil in Madrid; Tommy Fleetwood finished tied-third
Sunday 29 September 2024 19:29, UK
Angel Hidalgo held off pre-tournament favourite Jon Rahm to claim a dramatic play-off victory on home soil at the acciona Open de Espana in Madrid.
Hidalgo missed a four-foot birdie chance for victory on the final hole at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, seeing him card a one-under 70 and finish on 14 under alongside Rahm.
Rahm - making his first regular DP World Tour appearance since joining LIV Golf - had birdied three of his last five holes to force a play-off, with the former world No 1 then matching Hidalgo's birdie at the first extra hole.
The players returned to play the par-four 18th for a third time, where Hidalgo got up and down from just short of the green to post a kick-in birdie - as Rahm could only make par - and register a maiden DP World Tour victory.
Hidalgo's two-shot lead immediately disappeared when he missed a close-range par putt at the first, where Rahm converted to move joint-top of the leaderboard and Puig also picked up a shot to jump within one of the lead.
The overnight leader responded to birdie the par-four next and Rahm moved further behind when he failed to get up and down to save par at the third, as Puig rolled in from 15 feet at the second and took advantage of the par-five fourth to move alongside Hidalgo.
Hidalgo posted back-to-back bogeys from the fifth and saw Puig temporarily move three clear when he birdied the par-five seventh, but Puig bogeyed the next as his two playing partners carded back-to-back birdies.
Rahm added a third consecutive birdie at the par-four 10th to briefly make it a three-way tie at the top, but Puig bogeyed two of his next three holes and Rahm double-bogeyed the par-four 13th to restore Hidalgo's two-shot cushion.
The former Masters champion matched Hidalgo's birdie at the par-five next and poured in from 20 feet at the 17th to close within one of his playing partner, as Puig's hopes faded with dropped shots at the 15th and the 17th.
Rahm holed from five feet at the driveable par-four last to set the target at 14 under, which was enough to force the play-off when Hidalgo missed a putt from even closer for victory in regulation.
Hidalgo recovered to join Rahm in both birdieing the first extra hole, played on the par-four 18th again, then left himself a putt from inside two feet on the second play-off hole - when Rahm failed to get up and down from the rough - to complete an emotional victory.
"Insane, absolutely insane," Hidalgo said. "It was weird because I was pretty relaxed all day, I don't know why. That's amazing. That's for everyone who believed in me."
Puig ended four strokes back and in a six-strong group on 10 under, with Tommy Fleetwood, Joe Dean and Scotland's Grant Forrest - who carded a final-round 64 - also finishing tied-third.
Patrick Reed registered a level-par 71 to end the week in tied-10th with Tyrrell Hatton and Alfredo Garcia Heredia, with Shane Lowry and former PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker eight strokes back and part of the share of 13th.
The DP World Tour heads to Scotland next for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where Rory McIlroy returns to action. Watch live on Thursday from midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and more with NOW.
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