Mark Hensby’s bid for a maiden PGA Tour Champions title has fallen just short at the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco.
Hensby and fellow Australian Richard Green finished second and third, respectively, at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Hensby (75) drawing within one of Canadian Stephen Ames with a birdie at the par-4 10th hole.
He had a chance to join Ames at nine-under with a birdie try at the 12th, but when that didn’t fall he followed it with consecutive double-bogeys as Ames (73) made 18 straight pars to complete a wire-to-wire win.
Hensby’s runner-up finish is his best result in 11 career PGA Tour Champions starts, the 51-year-old left to rue a putt that simply refused to drop.
“I hit a really nice putt there [at the 12th], and it just didn’t go in,” Hensby said.
“It was unfortunate I just couldn’t put enough pressure on Stephen at that time because that was the time where I think that things could have changed, especially I would have been tied then.
“I knew he wasn’t going to make a mistake so I had to kind of try and push it a little bit.
“Then I got deflated a little bit and I was all upset with making a double. Then I got obviously a really bad lie in the bunker on the next hole but I hung in. I had some chances. I didn’t putt very well today, and that’s what you’ve got to do to win.”
It was almost the perfect start to Green’s career on the Champions Tour.
The medallist at qualifying school finished tied for third after posting a final-round, three-under 70. He was joined by Paul Stankowski, Robert Karlsson and Brett Quigley.
“It feels awesome,” Green said. “It feels like a long career and maybe some deserved results around this course.
“I came here for a long time with the European Tour and played. Never really played that well, but had some tough days, and I feel like this week has been a bit of a reward for patience. Kind of understanding the course a little bit early on in the week, that it was a golf course that you needed to just hang in there.”
