The 24-year-old James Hepworth
from Ilkley carded a final-round 67 to end up 11-under 277, a stroke behind the
all-Swedish playoff in which Johan Rystrom defeated Henrik Stenson at the first
extra holea at the Costa Blanca Challenge in Spain.
Hepworth made a great start
with a birdie at the first hole and two more followed as he was out in 33. Birdies
at 11 and 13 saw him on a roll but he couldn't find that extra one which would
have put him atop the leaderboard.
"On the 15th tee, I felt
I had a chance of winning," he said. "But that par felt like a bogey and after
that, I felt my chance had gone."
"My priority this year,
like everyone else, is to finish in the top 15 at the end of the year to secure
my card on the main tour."
Stenson one up playing
the 18th three putted. That left him tied with Rystrom, and when the pair returned
to the par-4 18th, both had birdie putts, Stenson missed and Rystrom holed to
take the title.
276 J Rystrom (Swe) 68 65
73 70 (£7,610), H Stenson (Swe) 66 72 66 72 (£5,070) (Rystrom won playoff at
first extra hole).
277 J Hepworth 70 71 69
67 (£2,859)
278 M Erlandsson (Swe) 66
69 71 72 (£2,283)
279 C Larrain (Ven) 69 71
69 70, M Pilkington 66 72 71 70, T Carolan (Aus) 68 69 71 71 (£1,782 each)
280 T Havemann (Den) 71
71 72 66, P Nilbrink (Swe) 71 70 68 71 (£1,448 each)
