Spanish rookie Lilja wins in Casablanca
casablanca — Spanish rookie Leo Lilja kept his cool when nerves were stretched to breaking point to win the MENA Tour’s season-opening Palmeraie Country Club Casablanca Open, beating England’s Luke Joy in a marathon playoff late on Thursday.
Playing in his first event on the tour after graduating from the Qualifying School last week, the Spaniard shot a bogey-free 68 to set a clubhouse target of eight-under which only Joy could match, reeling of three birdies coming home after offsetting an early bogey on the second to force extra holes.
There was a palpable sense of relief than ecstasy when Lilja birdied the par-5, 17th after hitting the greens in two shots to settle the issue on the sixth extra hole in the longest-ever playoff in the history of the MENA Tour.
“I am really very, very happy. Just can’t believe that I have won my very first event on the tour. It feels so surreal,” said the 24-year-old after receiving the winner’s trophy.
“I played really solid during the week and holed many good putts out there which was the key,” said Lilja, who became the third Spaniard after Gabriel Canizares and Carlos Balmaseda to win on the MENA Tour.
England’s Joy, a two-time winner on the tour, gave his best but in the end it wasn’t good enough to get over the line as he had to settle for second, one shot ahead of his compatriot and overnight leader Lee Corfield, who closed with one-over 72.
The home crowd had plenty to cheer about when experienced Younes El Hassani finished a creditable fourth along with Scotland’s Jack McDonald after posting a final round 70.
On six-under-par 207, El Hassani comfortably won the MENA Division by two shots over his compatriot Faycal Serghini.