Anton Haig’s stunning approach to the 72nd hole at Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, Thailand, which helped him claim his maiden title in the Johnnie Walker Classic, has been recognised as The European Tour Shot of the Month for March.
Needing a birdie on the last to force his way into a play-off, the South African pulled his tee shot way left. Faced with a shot out of thick rough, over the palm trees to a pin tucked behind the bunker, Haig hit an incredible recovery with his lob wedge to three feet and holed the putt to tie fellow South African Richard Sterne and Oliver Wilson.
He then birdied the same hole again in the sudden-death play-off to win his first European Tour title.
“I was a bit nervous coming off a bogey on the 17th and tried to give it a bit extra coming down the last,” explained Haig. “I turned he drive over and got extremely lucky to have any shot to the green. The only shot I really had was a shot to the pin. I took out a lob wedge and had 102 yards to the pin. I knew I needed something special to get in the play-off. Fortunately I pulled of an immaculate shot. I could have put 100 balls down there and not come up with that last shot.”
Haig’s huge drive on the 390 yard 13th was also in the running for the Shot of the Month Award after he drove the ball to eight feet.
“The drive on the 13th was a little lucky,” admitted Haig. “I was trying to hit the middle of the green and pushed it slightly. It was going just right of the pin and then got a lucky bounce. But it was also a good shot under the pressure and both shots helped me win my first title.”
Raphaël Jacquelin’s holed chip on the final green at Quinta da Manrinha Oitavos Golfe, which secured second place in the Estoril Open de Portugal, was voted as the third placed shot of the month.
The European Tour Shot of the Month Award is presented to the Tour Member for the shot judged to be the most outstanding played during each calendar month on The European Tour International Schedule. The winners so far this year are Retief Goosen (January) and Mikko Ilonen (February) and the winning shots from each month are entered towards The European Tour Shot of the Year.
