ABU DHABI: Victor Perez endured nail-biting drama over the closing stretch of the Abu Dhabi Championship, before edging a one-shot win on Sunday (Jan 22).The 30-year-old Frenchman holed out his bunker shot on the par-3 17th hole in remarkable fashion to get to 19-under, before visiting the fairway bunker and making a bogey on the par-5 18th hole at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.Perez finally closed with a six-under par 66 for an overall total of 18-under par 270.Australia's Min Woo Lee paid the price of a bogey on the 17th hole when he missed a par putt from less than five feet.
He almost holed out his third shot for an eagle on the 18th which could have forced a play-off.However, his ball rolled back towards the pin and stopped agonisingly close.
The birdie saw him finish on 68 and in tied-second place alongside Sweden's Sebastian Soderberg (67).Ireland's 51-year-old Padraig Harrington, who was trying to become the oldest winner on the European Tour, was in solo fourth place at 16-under par.
He started his round with a bogey, but made seven birdies in his round after that.The win was Perez's third on the tour in 91 starts and moves him to the top of the European Tour rankings with 1,335 points.