Lucas hangs on as desert storm blows stars away

RemembeR all those US Opens where they set the course up so hard it became a lottery, and they ended up with a funky winner? That’s what happened on a torturous final day at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Credit to Lucas Herbert, 24, from Adelaide for outlasting South African Christiaan bezuidenhout in a sudden-death play-off and winning his first title on Australia Day, of all days, after both men had shot 68. but it speaks volumes about the dodginess of the test presented that no-one from the final seven groups posted a total to get into the play-off. That this should happen at the most iconic event on the middle east swing, on the best venue in the region with a reputation for rewarding attacking golf, only increased the day’s unsatisfactory nature. The first man out, Swede Sebastian Soderberg, had the right idea. He shot 75 in a record time of 96 minutes for 18 holes. If only the rest of the action had been so mercifully swift. The lamentable decision to change the character of the course and cover it with large swathes of rough this year was one thing. Poor tournament director mike Stewart must have turned a whiter shade of pale when confronted by a rare desert storm for the final round, with gusting breezes and even the odd spot of rain. even a great wind player like Tommy Fleetwood (75) couldn’t cope. The men in first and second at the start of play — Ashun Wu from China and Victor Perez from France — shot a combined 12 over par. Perhaps the most spectacular fall came from defending champion bryson DeChambeau. The American was tied for the lead with five to play. but DeChambeau finished with four straight bogeys for a 76. The man from the final pairings who came nearest to making the play-off was englishman Tom Lewis, who struck two mighty blows on to the par-five 18th green. Needing to hole the eagle putt, he not only missed that one but the birdie effort as well. So, to the play-off. Herbert might have hit the most horrific shot of even this day when, in going for the 18th green in two, he failed to clear the water by 30 yards. He showed character in getting down in two from 80 yards for a five to stay alive, before winning at the second extra hole. ‘I’m ecstatic,’ said the player ranked 225th in the world. ‘I went from maybe the worst shot of my entire career to winning.’