Tag: Jorge Campillo

There’s divots. There’s bad lies. And then there’s this.

Jorge Campillo had the most incredible situation at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Friday but got out of it without penalty.

“It’s the most incredible situation I’ve seen in my entire career,” said Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Tournament Director Miguel Vidaor, who was called for a ruling on the first hole during the second round on Friday.

Jorge Campillo was there waiting for Vidaor, who didn’t initially understand the problem because he didn’t see any golf balls on the fairway.

Turns out, a divot was “left in an open position,” Vidaor said, and Campillo’s ball “ended up wrapped in a divot left from another competitor.

“This looks so artificial. Someone must have put it on top on purpose,” Vidaor said. But there was no evidence of that.

As for the ruling, Vidaor said it was simple.

“The divot is a loose impediment,” he said, but did add that if Campillo moved the ball while moving the divot, there would’ve been a penalty. Campillo couldn’t advance the ball without hitting through the divot so he decided to take the chance of removing the loose impediment.

“He grabbed it from both ends, very carefully,” Vidaor said. “I’d have to say he’d be a good surgeon.”

Campillo took almost 15 seconds slowly removing the divot but the ball remained at rest and he was able to play his next shot. He parred the hole en route to a second-round 73.

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Jorge Campillo wins Qatar Masters after five playoff holes with David Drysdale

Jorge Campillo double-bogeyed the 17th at the Qatar Masters to drop into a playoff, but ultimately won his second European Tour title.

Jorge Campillo nearly gave it away in the final minutes of regulation at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Campillo, the 33-year-old Spaniard, made a double-bogey on the 17th hole at Education City Golf Club in Doha, Qatar, that erased his two-shot lead and dropped him back to 13 under and in a tie with David Drysdale.

It took five extra holes but eventually Campillo found himself back in the top spot, and with his second career European Tour title.

Campillo started the playoff by putting his tee shot in the bunker at the 18th, but he saved himself with a 25-footer for birdie. Drysdale made his birdie from 6 feet.

Scores: Commercial Bank Qatar Masters

On the next trip down the final hole, Campillo made birdie from 20 feet and Drysdale made one from inside that, once again. The two matched pars on the next two trips down the hole before Campillo won with a birdie from 20 feet when Drysdale missed from similar range.

Campillo had to wait 229 events for his first European Tour victory at the Trophée Hassan II but he has now won in consecutive seasons.

“I’m just so proud right now of the way I played in the play-off,” he said. “I hardly missed a shot and I was able to make some putts.

“I hit some good shots coming in in the middle of the round but you have to be patient, you have to try hard. I knew I was going to make some putts. It was a tough win but I’m glad I pulled it off.

“It’s a great par 4, 18. A tough hole. David was hitting some great shots into the hole and I had to make some putts. Three birdies out of six on 18 to win is something to be proud of.”

Campillo’s final-round 1-over 72 was his highest by far for the week. He started with back-to-back rounds of 66 before a third-round 67.

Behind Drysdale in second, three men tied for third at 12 under: Niklas Lemke, Kalle Samooja and Jeff Winther. Lemke had the highest final-round climb with his closing 6-under 65. It moved him 18 spots up the leaderboard.

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