Fasth edges out Tunnicliff in play-off

Sweden’s Niclas Fasth today beat England’s Miles Tunnicliff in a play-off to win the Holden New Zealand Open.

Ireland's Damien McGrane finished tied in seventh place at -15. Peter Lawrie finished tied for 13th at -14.

Fasth birdied the second extra hole to claim the €155,000 first prize after the pair had finished tied on 22 under par at Gulf Harbour.

The former Ryder Cup player had carded a superb closing 63 and looked certain of victory when Tunnicliff missed a short birdie putt on the 17th hole in regulation.

However Tunnicliff held his nerve to birdie the last to force sudden death, the players returning to the 18th to decide the title.

Tunnicliff’s approach on the first extra hole flew the green and hit a young female spectator on the head, the ball bouncing off at almost 90 degrees into the rough.

After checking to make sure the unfortunate spectator would be okay, Tunnicliff managed to get up and down for par, Fasth narrowly missing from 18ft for birdie.

Both players found the green the second time around and after Tunnicliff had missed from long range, Fasth holed from 12ft for birdie to seal victory.

Australian duo Richard Green and Simon Nash shared third place on 18 under par while overnight leader Oliver Wilson, playing only his fifth tour event, struggled to a 74 to drop to a share of seventh.

Fasth, whose only previous European Tour title came in the Madeira Island Open in 2000, began the day four shots off the lead but birdied the second and fourth and eagled the sixth to jump to the top of the leaderboard.

Tunnicliff drew level with his second birdie of the day on the eighth and from then on it developed into a two-horse race.

Fasth’s approach to the ninth landed in a female spectator’s lap, but after a free drop the 32-year-old pitched to 12ft and holed the putt for par.

Birdies on the 10th and 11th briefly took Fasth two clear but Tunnicliff then holed out from a bunker on the short par-four 12th to draw level again.