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Daniel Gavins Avoids Scare to Win Ras Al Khaimah Championship

Daniel Gavins Avoids Scare to Win Ras Al Khaimah Championship

Daniel Gavins sunk a 25-foot putt on the final hole, surviving a final-hole scare, to clinch victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, his second DP World Tour triumph.

The Englishman started the final round on Sunday with a two-shot deficit, behind overnight leader Zander Lombard. After bogeying the opening hole. the Leeds-born golfer fired five birdies in a row to help him gain a three-stroke advantage over Lombard as well as other challengers Alexander Bjork and Matthieu Pavon.

His lead was nearly squandered after the Leeds-born golfer found the water twice on the par-five 18th at Al Hamra Golf Club but held his nerve to eventually putt from a distance for a double-bogey to finish on 17 under.

Gavins then had to endure a nervous wait to see if Lombard could convert an eagle putt to force the event to a playoff but the South African could only birdie the last for a final-round 72, securing victory for the 31-year-old.

“I’m pretty speechless to be honest,” said the world no. 296 to Sky Sports.

“I have been struggling off the tee for the last two weeks, I’ve been battling, and it was a difficult hole to go through. Fortunately I holed out! I thought I was holing it for a playoff. I didn’t realise Bjork had made bogey.

“When I sunk the putt and then went to the back of the green and saw that I was actually winning still, it was kind of a big shock.

“I was pretty relaxed all day even though my swing off the tee wasn’t great. I obviously felt it a lot on the 18th but other than that it was pretty calm.”

Gavins’ second DP World Tour victory comes 18 months after his first at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in August 2021.

The next event on the DP World Tour is the Singapore Classic at the Laguna National Golf Course commencing on 9th February.