Broberg clinches play-off to win first European Tour title

The Swede secured the triumph in dramatic fashion as he defeated American Patrick Reed at the first play-off hole, after both players had finished tied at the top of the leaderboard on 17-under-par.

Broberg certainly made the putts when it mattered on Sunday, while his rivals came up just short. I have no words.

However, the world number 149 calmly rolled in a 12-foot putt to make birdie and rocket up to 12th in the Race to Dubai standings, which Rory McIlroy – who was not present in Shanghai – continues to lead ahead of Danny Willett going into next week’s season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Reed held a one-shot lead with two holes to play after holing out from 100 yards from a fairway bunker on the 15th for eagle and carding his fifth birdie of the day on the next. Broberg had been faced with an nearly identical putt minutes earlier on No18 to win outright but left it short.

“I hit a good swing with my driver, just hit a long one left side”, he said of the play-off hole. I hit a good nine iron up to four or five metres from the hole and was so happy. “But at the end of the day, if you would have told me I would have come over, finish second, I wouldn’t have teed it up this week; I would have taken it and left”, added the 25-year-old. “It hurts, but at the same time, I know what I’m working on right now is definitely the right thing because I’m moving in the right direction”.

Two other title contenders, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and South Korea’s An Byeong-hun, also barely missed birdie putts on the 18th green in regulation to get into the playoff. “Just need to keep on plugging along and hopefully close one out here shortly”.

Thongchai (71) and An (70) finished in a share of third place with Henrik Stenson (68) and Lucas Bjerregaard (70) at 16 under, while Justin Rose (67) and Paul Casey (69) were another stroke back in joint-seventh.