Hole-in-one propels Horsey to victory in playoff at Hassan Trophy II

David Horsey overcame Rhys Davies and Jaco Van Zyl in a three-man playoff to win the Hassan Trophy II. The trio finished at 13-under 274.

The Englishman's second European Tour title came after a drama-packed final hole saw the trio go into the playoff. Defending champion Davies and England's Horsey were locked together throughout the final day.

With one to play, Horsey -- who had a hole-in-one at the second -- was one ahead of Davies and two clear of South Africa's Van Zyl, but took 5 from the middle of the fairway and 6 in total. His double bogey left Davies a four-foot putt for the win, but the Welshman ran the effort two feet past the hole.

That allowed South African Van Zyl into a playoff with his par for what would have been his first European Tour title. However, Horsey emerged strongest on the second hole of the playoff -- clinching the win with a birdie -- to follow up his victory at last year's BMW Open and move into the world's top 80.

Asked how he felt after taking the win, Horsey said: "Relieved more than anything. I made hard work of that coming down the last.

"I couldn't believe Rhys missed that putt to win, to be honest,” he added. “If we had been playing match play, I would have given him that putt because he is one of the best putters in the world. So I was surprised to be in the playoff, and then to win is a great feeling that hasn't quite sunk in yet, but I am sure it will in the next day or two."

Reflecting on his hole-in-one at the second, he added: "It is not very often that you get off to a start like that on the last day of a tournament -- especially when you are in a position to win. Obviously there is a certain amount of luck involved in a hole-in-one, but it really set me up for the rest of the day."

Davies, meanwhile, was left to reflect on what might have been following his costly miss that led to the playoff.

"I played well all week and did a lot of things well but I just couldn't get the ball in the hole at the end," he said. "I don't really know what to say about that, to be honest. It is just one of those things that happen in golf.

"It's tough and the line is so fine that it comes down to things like that sometimes,” he added. “It is going to be a hard one for me to take but I will pick myself up and be back -- I know I am playing well and doing the right things, this one just got away from me."

Horsey became the fourth Englishman to win the event, after Peter Townsend (1978), Martin Gates (1994) and Roger Chapman (2000).

Thomas Bjorn of Denmark set a course-record 62 to finish at 6 under in 15th place.

"I played well even with a bogey and a three putt," the former Ryder Cup star said. "It was just one of those days when I holed my fair share of putts and never made any big mistakes."