German Yannik Paul won the Mallorca Open in dramatic fashion after he holed a 15-foot birdie putt at the final hole to snatch the title by a single shot from Nicolai von Dellingshausen and Paul Waring.

It was a day of high drama in breezy conditions at Son Muntaner Golf Club, where Paul had shared the overnight lead with Ryan Fox, who was in the hunt for his third DP World Tour title of the season. And while numerous players jostled and moved in and out of contention, the 28-year-old stood firm at the top of the leaderboard.

Paul, who shot a third round 62 that included three eagles, led or shared the lead for the majority of the final day, until his playing partner Marcus Armitage birdied the 15th hole to edge ahead. The Englishman, however, proceded to drop four shots in the final three holes to fall out of contention.

By the time Paul stood on the 18th tee,  von Dellingshausen and Waring had posted a clubhouse target of 14 under par. A birdie was required, and the 2021 Challenge Tour graduate duly obliged, holing his birdie putt on the 72nd hole from the fringe to sign off with a final round 72 and a 15 under winning total.

The win was his first on Europe’s topper tour and came in just his 26th appearance, making him the fastest German player to win on the Tour and moved him to 20th in the money list. Von Dellingshausen, meanwhile, received some consolation as his tied runner-up finish meant he will retain his Tour card for next season.

Paul said: “It was really hard today. My ball-striking was unbelievable all week, and I hit it really close on the first couple of holes, but I couldn’t make any putts. so it was really hard to stay in moment, but luckily the other guys didn’t make many putts either.

“I saw after nine holes that I was in the lead by one shot and then Marcus made a great shot on 15, so I was two shots back there and I thought it’s going to be close now. Unfortunately Marcus hit a couple of bad shots, but I couldn’t have dreamed for anything better in the end. I’m just so happy.”

For all the scores, click here. 

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Paul Casey is joining the LIV Golf series and will tee off his career on the Saudi-backed tour’s third event, which will take place at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, USA at the end of July.

The 44-year-old will join Ryder Cup teammates Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell in playing on the new tour, and will be part of team Crushers GC, captained by Bryson DeChambeau.

“LIV Golf continues to attract the best players in the sport as it builds increasingly competitive fields with each event,” LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman said. “Paul Casey adds to the growing list of top 50 golfers who are excited to be part of an innovative and entertaining format that is creating something new for golf. His proven track record on a global stage adds another exciting piece to the competition as we prepare for Bedminster.”

Following the conclusion of the second event at Pumpkin Ridge on Saturday, which was won by South Africa’s Branden Grace, the LIV Golf Invitational Series has six more events scheduled for 2022, with the series set to offer 14 tournaments in 2023.

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