Tyrrell Hatton from the UK became the champion of the Turkish Airlines Open 2019 international golf tournament.
Matthias Schwab from Austria, Benjamin Hebert from France, Tyrrell Hatton from the UK, Kurt Kıtayama from the US, Erik Van Rooyen from South Africa and Victor Perez from France took the first place with -20 points as a result of the shots that were performed on the final day of the event which was held at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal Golf Club in Belek Tourism Center under the principal sponsorship of Turkish Airlines (THY).
The case where six players remained for the play-off, which was experienced in 1990 at Portugal during the European Tour, and in 2003 at South Africa, was reported to be experienced for the third time in Turkey.
Lost ball caused a penalty
The shots of the golfers who competed with each other in two groups of three players at the 18th hole as a result of the draw in the first round of the play-off, was watched with interest. The search for the ball which fell into a bushy area following the shot of Erik Van Rooyen in the first round took a long time, resulting in entertaining moments. Having received 2 penalty points since the ball could not be found, Rooyen as well as Benjamin Hebert and Victor Perez were eliminated in the first round.
When the tie wasn’t broken between Tyrrell Hatton, Kurt Kıtayama and Matthias Schwab in the second round, the game went on with the third round. After the elimination of Kurt Kıtayama in the third round, two players remained for the fourth round.
In the fourth round, Matthias Schwab missed a close-range shot, as a result of which Tyrrell Hatton won the championship and the $2 million prize. Kurt Kıtayama came in the third at the tournament.
The Award was Presented by Minister Çavuşoğlu
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu presented the award to Tyrrell Hatton, who became the champion. In his speech, Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that it was a competitive play-off stage, which he enjoyed watching. Stating that they remembered the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk with respect in the 81st anniversary of his passing, Çavuşoğlu said: "His saying, 'peace at home, peace in the world' has always guided us."
The Antalya Governor Münir Karaloğlu and the Turkish Golf Federation President Ahmet Ağaoğlu also attended the award ceremony.