Perez wins Dutch Open in style after playoff performance for the ages
Victor Perez prevailed over Ryan Fox to claim a thrilling win via a playoff at the Dutch Open on the DP World Tour.
France’s Victor Perez beat Ryan Fox in an epic four-hole playoff for the ages to claim his second DP World Tour win at the Dutch Open.
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It all looked as if Fox was set to claim his second win of the season after he made a late charge in Croimvert on Sunday when he produced a stunning stretch of golf.
Kiwi Fox, 35, made eagle at No. 12 and then drained a 45-putt for birdie at 14. By the time he got to his 72nd hole he was 7-under for the day and 15-under for the tournament.
But a catastrophic double bogey at the par-5 18th by Fox at Bernardus Golf handed Perez the opportunity to win in regulation with a birdie putt. He missed and the pair headed for a playoff.
Fox, throughout the entirety of the playoff, appeared to have the upper hand. He made birdie at the first extra hole at 18 but then Perez’s putter came alive. It was burning hot. Red hot.
First Perez had to drain a testing putt of around 20 feet to keep the playoff going as the sun began to set. Fox looked like he didn’t knew what hit him and was perhaps still thinking about that double.
On the second playoff hole they headed down the 18th and again Perez was forced to layup. He sent his third shot through the back of the green and got down in two for a safe par.
Fox put his second shot in the greenside bunker and after splashing out he had the same putt Perez had to extend the playoff. Fox under hit his birdie putt and the pair headed down the 18th again.
It was the same story for Perez as he was forced to layup after finding the fairway bunker. Fox flushed his tee shot and gave himself the eagle opportunity Perez desperately wanted.
WHAT A PUTT! @v_perez2 won a four hole play-off in style to claim his first win on Tour since 2019.#DutchOpen2022 pic.twitter.com/Zl3MKLlWVD
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 29, 2022
Fox safely navigated his two putts to make his birdie to force Perez to drain a huge putt to extend the playoff to a fourth hole. Perez, again, found the centre of the cup with an incredible putt and let out a huge roar.
They headed to the par-3 17th. Fox found the top tier of the green and had the better of the two for a look at birdie. Perez was further away but that didn’t matter as he drained a monster putt.
Fox couldn’t match him. Perez managed to calm down and later told Sky Sport’s Inci Mehmet: “[There was a] fair amount of fortune. It’s kinda hard to put into words. We didn’t think we had a chance.”
Elsewhere, big hitting Polish pro Adrian Meronk finished one stroke behind Fox and Perez at 12-under par.
German Marcel Schneider finished a further stroke behind.
England's Matt Wallace finished inside the top 10. Both Wallace and Meronk made pars in the most spectacular ways on Sunday.
