Thriston Lawrence wins after the play-off
28.08.2022
The Omega European Masters 2022 ended in a play-off. After four rounds of competition, Thriston Lawrence and Matt Wallace were unable to break the tie and finished on 262 (-18).
It all came down to a second round on 18. Over the course of the competition, both men had made two birdies each on this hole. In the end, it was Thriston Lawrence who managed to come out on top. His opponent missed a final putt 2.5 metres from the pin and went on to win.
In the lead almost all the time
The South African's success is more than deserved: since Thursday, he has never been lower than second. He only had to finish with a play-off because of a bogey with three holes to go. On Sunday, he shared his flight with Englishmen Matt Wallace and Richard Mansell. His three-shot advantage quickly melted away. The hunter felt the breath of his opponents closing in very early on. And it was Matt Wallace who was the toughest. He offered a dream final to the numerous public present in Crans-Montana, coming back shot after shot, until this famous play-off. "Before I attacked it, I just told myself that I had to keep enjoying myself. And I'm especially happy with the patience I've shown over the past four days," commented Thriston Lawrence.
The South African, who was ranked 11th on the DP World Tour rankings prior to the tournament, was one of the favourites to win the 2022 Omega European Masters. On the entry list, only Poland's Adrian Meronk and Australia's Ryan Fox were ahead of him in the rankings.
An entry into the world's top 100
The 25-year-old Thriston Lawrence has the distinction of becoming the first winner of the DP World Tour era, following his success at the 2021 Joburg Open. On the High Plateau, he has just signed a second victory of the season. The win will earn him 340,000 euros, take him into the world's top 100 for the first time in his career and move him up to 9th place in the DP World Tour rankings. "It's a dream come true. A victory on my first appearance in Crans-Montana," concluded the winner.
Rusch confirmed on Sunday
Only one Swiss rider managed to remain consistent throughout the entire competition. Well, consistent until the 15th hole of the fourth day. Then he made two successive bogeys, which pushed him back in the rankings: 13th place instead of 25th, or a prize fund of 20,800 euros instead of 32,200 euros. But it is certain that if the Swiss No. 2 had been offered this course on Thursday morning, he would have signed up straight away.
For Joel Girrbach, the Omega European Masters 2022 was one round too many. On Saturday evening he was still in 32nd place with three good rounds and a -7. On Sunday, the Thurgau-based player could not keep up with the pace: with a +5, he finished in 278th place. In addition to the disappointment, he will only receive a cheque for 4,200 euros instead of the 16,600 he was promised.
The Geneva amateur Maximilien Sturdza experienced the same Sunday as his German compatriot. He too was out of juice. He played +6 in the fourth round, for a total of 282 and a 73rd place. However, it should not be forgotten that both players made the cut at the Omega European Masters 2022.
