Chacarra triumphs on Asian Tour’s longest day, claims victory on 82nd hole

Eugenio Chacarra only needed 54 holes to win his first professional tournament, it took half as many again to claim his second in the longest sudden-death play-off in Asian Tour history.

The young Spaniard eventually overcame Australian Matt Jones at the St Andrews Bay Championship on Sunday, two putting for par from 30 feet on the par-5 18th, the 10th hole of their mammoth tussle, to claim his maiden International Series title.

Jones, who like his rival is a member of LIV Golf this season, had struggled with his putting all week and missed a five-footer for par to hand Chacarra victory at Fairmont St Andrews.

“It was a long day,” said Chacarra, who joined LIV after turning professional last year. “Happy it came out my way, but I mean, Matt had a tremendous day as well. Tremendous 10 holes, I think we all know he’s a great player.”

The win was the 23-year-old’s first 72-hole victory since turning professional, while he also claimed the individual title in last year’s LIV Golf Bangkok.

Both players had birdied the final hole of the fourth round to finish tied on 19 under at the Torrance Course, with Chacarra carding a five-under 67 and Jones a 69.

Australian Andrew Dodt (68) and Jaco Ahlers (69) from South African finished one stroke short of the play-off.

Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho carded his only over-par round of the tournament, shooting a 73 to finish five-under for the week and in a six-way tie for 50th.

The previous longest play-off took place at the 2001 SK Telecom Open in Korea, when local player Charlie Wi triumphed after seven holes against countryman Kang Wook-soon and Simon Yates from Scotland.

Two-time Australian Open champion Jones, 20 years his opponent’s senior, was looking for his first win since the 2021 Honda Classic on the PGA Tour, but said his putting let him down.

“I threw away a golf tournament with the way I putted during the tournament, and in the play-off,” he said. “I putted pretty awful all week. I missed a lot of short ones. My speed was terrible, but I hit some nice shots. It is always good to get into contention, but I am done now, I am tired.”

The play-off was just one short of the longest sudden-death play-off ever recorded, the 1949 Motor City Open, between Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum, which lasted 11 holes before they decided to share the honours.

Overnight-leader Turk Pettit from the United States closed with 74 and tied for eighth on 15 under, alongside countryman Andrew Ogletree.

Ogletree helped maintain his dominance of the Asian Tour and International Series orders of merit after closing with a fine six birdies and no bogeys 65.