Finland’s Sami Valimaki won his first European Tour title as he defeated Brandon Stone in a play-off to lift the trophy at the 2020 Oman Open.
The Finn was outside the top 100 after day one at Al Mouj Golf, but a stunning 64 in round three put him alongside Stone in a six way tie for the lead with 18 holes to play.
In difficult, breezy conditions by the coast, both Stone and Valimaki had held the lead on their own during the final day, but it was Frenchman Adrien Saddier who set the clubhouse target at 12 under.
Stone celebrated wildly as he holed a 20-footer on the last to get to 13 under, but there was more drama to come as Valimaki holed from similar range for his own closing gain and a round of 70 to take the contest to extra holes.
The duo halved the 18th in pars twice, but when Stone sent his second shot crashing into the stands on the third trip and failed to get up and down, and a par was enough to hand Valimaki victory.
Valimaki had a stunning 2019 on the Pro Golf Tour, winning four times, including three consecutive starts at the end of the season. The 21-year-old claimed his card at the Qualifying School and after securing a first top ten at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, he is now a winner in just his sixth European Tour event.