Manassero wins in Singapore

Last updated: 11th November 2012

Italian teenager Matteo Manassero has been crowned the Barclays Singapore Open champion after beating Louis Oosthuizen in a tense play-off on Sunday.

After both players ended the final round on 13-under with birdies on the final hole, Manassero finally won on the third play-off hole when the he birdied the 18th again, this time Oosthuizen's approach wasn't good enough to hand him an easy putt.

"It's been an extremely long day. The adrenaline kept me going and fortunately the key, I think, it was starting really well this morning after coming back on the course," Manassero said.

"I started with some birdies in a row which was very good."

It could have been so different for the South African had he holed his four-feet birdie putt on the second play-off hole, when his attempt lipped out to force an extension.

His failure to win also meant that world number one Rory McIlroy completed a rare double of double of US and European money list winner after a closing round of 65 moved him into sole possession of third place in Singapore.

McIlroy was never in contention to challenge the leaders, but an eagle on the par five 18th - and a final round 68 - meant he moved ahead of the chasing pack.

"I set myself a target today to finish on 10 under, get myself into double digits under par, and a couple of birdies on the back nine and was trying to keep pushing and pushing," McIlroy said.

"Obviously it was great to finish with an eagle on the last but I was not thinking of anything else other than hit a good putt."

Second-round leader Thomas Bjorn claimed fourth place on nine under after a final round 68, while three-time winner Adam Scott and Francesco Molinari ended a shot further back in a tie for fifth.