Thriston Lawrence makes history after thrilling play-off at Crans Montana

Thriston Lawrence joined Seve Ballesteros as a three-time winner of the Omega European Masters after edging Paul Casey in a thrilling play-off following a sensational final round in Crans Montana.

The South African led at the halfway stage at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, but dropped down the leaderboard on Moving Day following a three-over 73.

He began Sunday's round six shots behind Casey, but a sparkling 62 saw him set the clubhouse target at 18 under which no one could better.

Casey slipped two behind Lawrence at one stage, but four birdies on the back nine saw him lead by one with the 72nd hole to play, only to drop a shot and endure a play-off.

It took four extra holes to decide a winner, but Lawrence came out on top with a birdie after his rival had missed his lengthy effort from the fringe.

As a result, Lawrence joined an exclusive group with the great Ballesteros as the only players to triumph three times in the Swiss event since 1972 following his successes in 2022 and 2025.

"It's crazy, it's probably the most emotion I've ever shown like in a happy way, normally I cry," Lawrence said after successfully defending his crown in the Alps.

"I can't believe it, I fought so hard today and just gave it my everything. I feel for Paul, he played great and it looked like it was his even in the play-off.

"It's just the best feeling in the world, honestly the best feeling in the world.

"Honestly I did (think I had a chance), I was playing nicely and after the first two rounds, I thought I could shoot eight or nine under and finish well.

"I knew there would be a low-60 in there and I just had to believe and give it my all.

"It's amazing, to play in a golf tournament that I think is the longest ever that's hosted at the same golf course, and to share three with Seve, I never met him but I've always seen clips of him, and it's unbelievable to share that with him."

Casey saw his overnight advantage get wiped out after a bogey at the third coupled with Maximilian Steinlechner's birdies at the first and third.

Both were at 15 under, but only for one hole as Casey bounced back with a birdie at the next.

The chasing pack were closing in though, with Angel Hidalgo finishing his front nine with five straight birdies and Lawrence also carding five gains through ten holes to join Steinlechner at 15 under.

However, it was all change when Casey flew over the sixth green and out of bounds before signing a double bogey to slip from the summit.

Lawrence took advantage immediately by draining a five-foot birdie putt at the 12th to claim the outright lead at 16 under.

Casey replied with a birdie at the seventh to sit one behind alongside Hidalgo with all to play for during the final round at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.

A bogey at the next appeared to derail Casey's title bid, while Lawrence extended his lead to two with a birdie at the 14th.

The jam-packed leaderboard squeezed the leader as Hidalgo hit back from a dropped shot at the 12th with birdies at the 13th and 14th to stay one behind Lawrence.

Angel Ayora rolled in his fourth birdie of the day at the 11th to get to 16 under and Casey's rollercoaster round continued with gains at the ninth and 11th to also reach that mark.

Lawrence became the first player at 18 under with a cool birdie putt at the 17th to regain his two-shot lead and edge closer to history.

But, Casey halved the deficit with a second successive birdie at the 12th as Lawrence set the pace at 18 under after narrowly missing his birdie putt at the last to card a flawless eight-under 62.

The Englishman was in full flow though as he joined Lawrence at the top with a birdie at the 14th and when his 15-foot putt found the cup at the next, Casey led at 19 under.

A clutch par putt at the 16th kept him one ahead and he only needed to par the last, which he had birdied on each of the first three days, to seal his 16th DP World Tour title, but Casey lipped out his putt and it went to a play-off.

This was the 11th play-off in the last 19 editions of this event and both players parred the three extra holes before the South African drained the winning 23-foot birdie putt for his place in history alongside Ballesteros.

Harry Hall carded an eagle and five birdies in his blemish-free 63 for solo third at 17 under, while Spanish trio Hidalgo, Ayora and Eugenio Chacarra were one shot further back alongside Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and Italy's Laporta.

Joel Girrbach, the only home player to make the weekend, finished at 15 under par with Englishman Matt Wallace to wrap up the top ten.

Casey revealed he will donate all of his prize money to the Fondation Beloved charity connected to the tragic New Year's Day fire at a bar in Crans Montana, with 354,734 euros being pledged for his runner-up finish.