Have you ever heard of a clutch putt for double bogey?
That was the scenario for Daniel Gavins, who rinsed two balls in the water on the 18th at the DP World Tour’s 2023 Ras Al Khaimah Championship and still managed to come away with the win.
“I thought I had (given the tournament away),” said Gavins. “I put two in the water and thought ‘Well that’s one way to end the tournament.’”
The 31-year-old Englishman held a two-shot lead on the final hole at Al Hamra Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates but found the water twice on his way to the green. Gavins made his eventual 30-foot putt for double-bogey to reach 17 under for the tournament, one shot clear of Alexander Bjork and Zander Lombard, who each had a chance to force a playoff. Bjork was in the group ahead of Gavins but bogeyed the last, while Lombard later missed an eagle putt to force a playoff.
The BEST double bogey of all time!
#RakGolfChamps pic.twitter.com/Jh3s0VJMCa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 5, 2023
“I’ve been struggling off the tee for the last two weeks and it’s not a very nice tee shot to have, even with a two-shot lead,” Gavins explained after the round. “To be fair, I thought I was holing that for the playoff. I didn’t realize Bjork had made a bogey.”
Gavins, who began the day two shots back, shot a 3-under 69 in the final round that included eight birdies – six over a seven-hole stretch – as well as three bogeys and the what could have been costly double. The win is No. 2 for Gavins on the DP World Tour following his victory at the 2021 ISPS Handa World Invitational.
Next up for the Tour is the Singapore Classic, Feb. 9-12 at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.