Jimenez handed Hong Kong victory

Jimenez celebrates victory on the final green in Hong Kong

FINAL LEADERBOARD
(GB & Ire unless stated):
-15 MA Jimenez (Sp)
-14 R Karlsson (Swe), KJ Choi (SKOR), T Jaidee (Tha)
-13 P Hanson (Swe)
-12 G McDowall
Selected others:
-8 G Houston, S Dyson
-7 D McGrane, R Goosen (SA)

Miguel Angel Jimenez was handed victory at the Hong Kong Open when Robert Karlsson double-bogeyed the final hole.

The Spaniard's three-under-par final round of 67 saw him finish on 15-under, one clear of Karlsson, Thongchai Jaidee and KJ Choi, who tied for second.

A birdie at the first saw Karlsson move to 17-under-par, but he only managed one other birdie in the round.

He bogeyed the sixth and eighth, and five shots from the centre of the final fairway saw the title slip away.

Both players arrived at the 72nd hole tied for the lead and both drove safely into position, leaving just wedges into the green.

Jimenez found the centre of the putting surface but Karlsson's approach came up short and rolled down the bank into rough.

He fluffed his first chip and his next from an almost identical position ran five feet past, but Jimenez left his 20-foot birdie putt woefully short and missed with his next attempt to leave Karlsson with a putt to force a play-off.

But the Swede could not hole and Jimenez tapped in for a remarkable victory.

Karlsson, who had led or shared the lead from early in the second round until Jimenez birdied the 16th, took defeat well.

"A couple decisions at the end of the day cost me a couple of shots but when you're out there, I don't think I would have liked to make any different decisions," he said.

"End of the day, he beat me fair and square."

Jimenez admitted he had sympathy with his opponent after claiming his 14th European Tour win, his first since the 2005 Welsh Open.

"I feel sorry for Robert, I don't like to see him finish this way... I'm going to have a cigar, some nice food, maybe a few whiskies and we'll see what happens," he said.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell completed an impressive week's work with a 68 to finish in sixth place, three shots off the lead.