Sami Valimaki is a European Tour champion.
The 21-year-old Valimaki outlasted Brandon Stone in a three-hole playoff Sunday to win the Oman Open at Al Mouj Golf Course in just his sixth European Tour appearance.
Stone took the outright lead on his first time down the par-4 18th Sunday with a clutch birdie putt. Unfortunately for Stone, Valimaki carded a birdie of his own, his seventh of the day, to force a playoff.
On the third playoff hole, Stone bogeyed the 18th for the first time in the tournament, leaving room for Valimaki to take the title with a putt for par. Valimaki and Stone finished 72 holes at 13 under after each carded a 2-under 70 in Sunday’s final round.
Valimaki was coming off a bogey-free 8-under 64 on Saturday, which gave the Finn some room for error entering the final round. Valimaki totaled three bogeys throughout the round plus a double-bogey on No. 9.
Adrien Saddier finished in third one shot back at 12 under. Mikko Korhonen and Guido Migliozzi finished T-4 at 11 under, two shots ahead of a four-way tie for sixth at 9 under.
Lorenzo Gagli, who was initially forced to withdraw from the Oman Open along with fellow Italian Edoardo Molinari over concerns both had been exposed to the coronavirus, finished T-10 at 8 under. Molinari finished T-50 at 2 under.
On Wednesday, Gagli exhibited flu-like symptoms and was evaluated and tested for coronavirus. He and Molinari, who had been sharing a hotel room, were quarantined and withdrew from the event as a precaution, but were cleared to play when Thursday when Gagli’s coronavirus test was negative.
