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.
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The 18th hole was the scene for the play-off showdown and, despite entering uncharted territory, the 29-year-old hit two superb shots to set up a 12 foot putt for birdie. The American slipped up on the next hole, however, missing a 4-footer for par that just caught the edge of the hole and curled away. “I have no words”, said the 29-yer-old from Stockholm who had carded a four-under-par 68 that left him and Reed (67) with identical 72-hole totals of 17-under 271. “Just need to keep on plugging along and hopefully close one out here shortly”. A bogey at 17 dropped him back into a tie for the lead and after he and Broberg traded pars at the last it was the Swede who found the winning birdie at the first extra hole.
Stenson, who had surged into contention with five birdies in six holes from the 11th, shared third place with Jaidee, An and Lucas Bjerregaard, with Justin Rose and Paul Casey a shot further back. Moments later, Garcia made it a four-way tie at the top with a 25-foot eagle putt on the same hole.
Kristoffer Broberg has clinched the BMW Masters title by defeating Patrick Reed in a playoff in the tournament in Shanghai.
The final round was halted at midday to observe a minute’s silence in honor of the victims of the Paris terror attacks.
“Unfortunately in the playoff (I) left the bunker shot short which I didn’t think was possible”, Reed, who won the 2014 WGC-Cadillac Championship said after his agonising loss.
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“But you can’t stop living, actually, and that’s the thing in France, we won’t stop living”.
