Perez wonder shot lights up win

THE best shot of Victor Perez’s life has set up what is likely to be the biggest year of the Frenchman’s career so far.

At the Abu Dhabi Championship yesterday, Perez spun a bunker shot back into the hole for birdie at the 17th and celebrated wildly on the way to shooting a six-under 66 for a one-stroke victory.

The win at Yas Links was Perez’s third on the European Tour and easily his biggest to date, while he has also climbed into second place in Europe’s Ryder Cup qualification standings.

‘It was probably the greatest shot I’ve ever hit,’ said an emotional Perez after sealing £1.2million in prize money.

‘ There’s a lot of big things coming up, I’ve had a really good off-season, I’ve worked really hard.’

Despite a nervy bogey on the 18th, Perez ( left) finished on 18 under par for the tournament, with Sebastian Soderberg and Min Woo Lee tied for second place. The highlight of Perez’s round came on the parthree 17th, after the 30-year- old left his tee shot short and in a greenside bunker. His second shot went 10 feet beyond the hole and spun back into it, as Perez leapt out of the sand to celebrate.