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Molinari eagles set up play-off win over Dunne in Morocco

Molinari eagles set up play-off win over Dunne in Morocco

Edoardo Molinari defeated Paul Dunne in a play-off to win the Trophee Hassan II and end a seven-year wait for a European Tour title.

The Italian – who made two eagles on the back nine, including one at the last – started the final round four under par and four shots adrift of overnight leader Dunne, but surged up the leaderboard having clicked into gear after the turn at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Molinari was level par for the day through nine holes and kick-started his round by going birdie-eagle at the 11th and 12th.

A dropped shot at 16 then preceded a dramatic finish where a gain at the penultimate hole was finished with another eagle at the last that briefly had him in the outright lead at nine under for the tournament.

However, Dunne – who had carded consecutive rounds of four under on Friday and Saturday – held his nerve to drain a birdie putt to force a play-off, having endured an up-and-down round that yielded five birdies and four bogeys.

But the Irishman, who had led The Open after three rounds as an amateur in 2015, missed a six-footer for par on the first play-off hole, leaving Molinari to rediscover that winning feeling.

"It's been a while since I've been through some very hard times in the past few years," said Molinari, who became the first player to make two eagles on the back nine of a European Tour event on Sunday since Thomas Bjorn in 2013.

"To get this, I'm very, very pleased."

Molinari's countryman Renato Paratore had scored a course-record 66 to surge into contention on Saturday, but a two-over 75 left him in a five-way tie for eighth.

Englishman Paul Waring was alone in third, while Victor Dubuisson and Lasse Jensen finished tied fourth.