Xander Schauffele beat Tony Finau in a play-off to win his first European Tour title at the WGC-HSBC Champions.
Finau entered Sunday at Sheshan International Golf Club with a three-shot lead but Schauffele carded the lowest round of the day with a 68 to reel him in and the duo were locked together at 14 under after 72 holes.
Schauffele found the green in two on the first trip back up the last and with Finau having to lay up after finding a bunker off the tee, a birdie was enough to hand Schauffele the victory.
Defending champion Justin Rose was right in it throughout the day but had to settle for a 72 after a bogey on the last to finish four shots out of the play-off at ten under.
Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat and American Andrew Putnam were then at eight under, a shot clear of another American in Keegan Bradley.
Schauffele’s victory comes in just his 14th European Tour event and moves the Affiliate Member up to fourth in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex after top ten finishes at the US Open and Open Championship.
‘I felt like I was playing great all day,’ he said. ‘We kept our heads down. Even when I was signing my card I was like, “oh, wow, I actually went birdie-birdie to get in the play-off”. I was just in my own world out there.
‘It means a lot, it was my birthday this week. To have my family out here, especially with the win, it’s really special.’
Aphibarnrat made five birdies and four bogeys in a 71 to seal his third top five in a World Golf Championships event this season, while Putnam and Bradley both signed for rounds of 72.
Tommy Fleetwood, Thorbjørn Olesen, Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay completed the top ten at five under.
Belgian Thomas Pieters made the first ever hole-in-one at the 12th hole at Sheshan as his six iron off the tee from 197 yards took two bounces and rolled into the cup.
Erik van Rooyen finished as the top-performing South African after a final round 70 despite a triple at the ninth hole. That blemish undid the three birdies he rattled off in the four preceding holes before birdies at 12 and 13 helped him restore his gains.
A closing birdie ensured his share of 22nd place as he works his way to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
