Ireland's Purcell holds nerve in China to win second Challenge Tour title of season

Irishman Purcell entered the final round with a share of the lead and started his round with six straight pars. He broke free from the chasing pack with a hat-trick of birdies starting from the par-three seventh at West Lake International Golf and Country Club.

Purcell then left the door open for his closest rivals to close in after dropping two shots on holes 11 and 13. However, the 27-year-old ensured he would clinch the title comfortably as he charged home with three more birdies in his closing four holes for a winning total of 18 under par 266.

“It’s an amazing feeling. Getting the first one was special in front of the home crowd. And I couldn’t have asked for a better second one with so many people watching in what has been an amazing event,” said Purcell, who won his maiden Challenge Tour title at the Black Desert NI Open presented by Tom McKibbin in July.

“It was a nervous start where I just made lots of pars before I got a few birdies towards the end of the front nine. I got a bit slow again on the back nine, made a few mistakes but got myself back in the mindset of making birdies and thankfully a few dropped.” With his latest win in Hangzhou, Purcell jumped eight places to fourth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings where he is almost certain to seal his promotion to the DP World Tour with only the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by the R&A left to play next week.

“It’s nice to win one of the elevated events before the grand finals so that I can go over there and enjoy a little bit more. I’m definitely going to celebrate because these wins don’t come around too often. I’m having my family over in Mallorca and really looking forward to it,” said Purcell.

Meanwhile France's Julien Guerrier defeated Spain's Jorge Campillo in a record-equalling play-off to win his first DP World Tour title in the Andalucia Masters.

Guerrier made par on the ninth extra hole after Campillo was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker, the pair having finished tied on 21 under par following closing rounds of 70 at Sotogrande.

Campillo had also bogeyed the 18th hole in regulation before Guerrier holed from 15 feet to force extra holes.

In a remarkable coincidence, the 39-year-old's coach Raphael Jacquelin won a nine-hole play-off for the Spanish Open in 2013.

The only other DP World Tour event decided by a nine-hole playoff was the 1989 Dutch Open, won by Jose Maria Olazabal.

An emotional Guerrier told Sky Sports: "I can't believe it. Jorge is a great player. I knew it would be really hard because his putting is amazing and also my iron game was not in good shape today.

"But my putting was really good so I was trying to do my best and I'm really, really happy.

"On the last putt I was thinking of my kids to give me the strength to hole it and I did so thanks to my family and my team. It's been a long wait and I'm really happy.

"French golf is very good right now and seeing the other guys win out here gave me so much belief that my time would come, and I could win.

"It still hasn't sunk in and I will go back home and spend some time with my family to celebrate."

Campillo, who holed from 15 feet for par on the first play-off hole, had chances to win on the third, seventh and eighth extra holes, but missed from six, 10 and 15 feet respectively.

England's Dan Brown finished two shots outside the play-off on 19 under par following a final round of 69.

Two-time major winner Jon Rahm carded a closing 67 to finish sixth on 17 under.

PA