Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma had a choppy back nine leading to a round of 1-over 72 as he finished a disappointing T-42nd at the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down.
Sharma, who was in the top-15 after the first two days, ended with a total of 4-over 288.
He parred through the front nine and two more holes before finding his first birdie on the 12th.
He bogeyed 13th and the 15th but birdied 16th only to drop a shot on 17th and close with a par.
Meanwhile, Rasmus Højgaard holed out twice and produced a stunning finish with four birdies in last five holes as he beat local favourite Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy looked on course to claim his first professional win on home soil when he led by two shots with four holes to play at a venue just an hour from where he grew up.
However, Højgaard's superb closing 65 saw him claim his fifth DP World Tour title and move to second in the Race to Dubai Rankings and to the top of the European Ryder Cup standings.
McIlroy had taken a one-shot lead into the final round and made the ideal start with birdies on the first and second.
With playing partner Matteo Manassero then dropping shots on the third and fourth, McIlroy briefly enjoyed a four-shot lead before making a bogey on the seventh after failing to get up and down from left of the green.
He then missed from inside ten feet for birdie on both the eighth and the ninth as Højgaard kickstarted his challenge with an outrageous chip-in for birdie on the tenth.
A birdie on the 11th edged McIlroy two in front again, but that advantage was wiped out as Højgaard birdied the 16th and McIlroy bogeyed the 15th.
Højgaard then dramatically holed out from a greenside bunker on the 17th and, although McIlroy drew level with a birdie on the 16th, he charged his birdie putt on the 17th past the hole and missed the return.
Højgaard's third birdie in a row on the 18th meant McIlroy needed to make an eagle on the same hole to force a play-off and a towering approach from 191 yards gave him a chance from 15 feet, only for the eagle putt to slide just wide.
“I was nervous. I was shaking out there the last few holes. I obviously knew that Rory was going to be there because he's got the whole support on his back there. It was nerve-wracking going down the last few holes knowing that he was right behind me,” Højgaard said.
Published - September 17, 2024 01:59 am IST
