KUNGSANGEN (Sweden), July 31: Australian Mark Hensby disappointed the home gallery by beating Swede Henrik Stenson in a sudden-death playoff for the Scandinavian Masters title on Sunday.

Both players had come from two shots off the lead overnight to close with six-under-par 65s and total 22-under-par 262, three shots ahead of the field.

Stenson’s three-putt bogey at the second extra hole finally separated the pair, leaving Hensby to pick up the $323,000 first prize.

In a dramatic end to 72 holes, Stenson looked favourite to win when he eagled the 17th with a 25ft putt but Hensby forced the playoff by holing a 30ft birdie putt on the 18th.

Leading final round scores (Britain unless stated):

262 — Mark Hensby (Australia) 65, 68, 64, 65; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 67, 66, 64, 65 (Hensby won playoff at the second extra hole).

265 — Marc Cayeux (Zimbabwe) 63, 69, 68, 65; Bradley Dredge 66, 63, 66, 70.

268 — Pierre Fulke (Sweden) 67, 63, 70, 68; Adam Scott (Australia) 70, 65, 65, 68.

269 — Gary Emerson 69, 67, 66, 67; Martin Erlandsson (Sweden) 69, 65, 69, 66; Barry Lane 64, 66, 65, 74; Henrik Nystroem (Sweden) 66, 65, 69, 69.

270 — Paul Broadhurst 67, 68, 67, 68; Richard Finch 71, 64, 65, 70; Damien McGrane (Ireland) 68, 66, 64, 72; Jean-Francois Remesy (France) 66, 65, 69, 70; Wilhelm Schauman (Sweden) 70, 68, 66, 66; Lian-Wei Zhang (China) 66, 69, 68, 67.

271 — Jamie Donaldson 68, 69, 67, 67.

272 — Henrik Bjornstad (Norway) 67, 65, 70, 70; Joakim Haeggman (Sweden) 67, 71, 65, 69; Andrew McLardy (South Africa) 66, 71, 65, 70; Jarrod Moseley (Australia) 67, 68, 67, 70; Alexander Noren (Sweden) 69, 66, 69, 68; Peter O’Malley (Australia) 66, 68, 67, 71; Johan Skoeld (Sweden) 67, 70, 70, 65.

273 — Johan Edfors (Sweden) 67, 67, 69, 70; Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 67, 70, 69, 67; Stuart Little 69, 66, 68, 70; Marten Olander (Sweden) 68, 70 69 66; Raymond Russell 68, 67, 72, 66; Simon Wakefield 71, 65, 68, 69.

BIG LEAD FOR SINGH

GRAND BLANC (Michigan),: Holder Vijay Singh carded a sizzling nine-under 63 to take a commanding five-shot lead into the final round at the Buick Open on Saturday as Tiger Woods faded then got back into contention.

Singh moved to 22-under 194 ahead of second-placed American Zach Johnson, who returned a seven-under 65. But the focus was on the world’s top two players who had dramatically contrasting days at the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.

Overnight leader Singh opened in spectacular fashion with birdies on seven of his first nine holes then finished off with three more birdies and one bogey after the turn.

At the same, world number one Woods, who began the day just one stroke back of the Fijian, stumbled almost from the start with three consecutive bogeys from the second.

But the British Open champion, who fired a course record-equalling 11-under 61 on Friday, staged a fightback with six birdies before another bogey at his last left the American on two-under 70 with eight shots to make up on Singh.

Leading third round scores (US unless stated):

194 — Vijay Singh (Fiji) 65, 66, 63.

199 — Zach Johnson 68, 66, 65.

201 — Chris DiMarco 70, 65, 66.

202 — Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 66, 71, 65; Sean O’Hair 70, 66, 66; Tiger Woods 71, 61, 70.

203 — Olin Browne 66, 73, 64; Steve Lowery 69, 66, 68; Jason Bohn 65, 69, 69.

204 — Briny Baird 69, 69, 66; Larry Mize 69, 68, 67; Jim Furyk 66, 71, 67; Jeff Brehaut 68, 67, 69; Fred Funk 68, 66, 70; Craig Barlow 66, 67, 71.

205 — Paul Claxton 71, 69, 65; Richard Johnson (Sweden) 69, 69, 67; Steve Elkington (Australia) 69, 68, 68; Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 71, 66, 68; Robert Allenby (Australia) 70, 65, 70; Dudley Hart 68, 66, 71.—Reuters