Marco Penge seals third win of season, Masters spot after Open de Espana drama

Brown brilliantly shot 67 despite repeated delays for treatment to his right shoulder and neck, finishing level on 15 under par with Penge who had begun the day four shots clear.

But the long-time leader birdied the first play-off hole to seal his third win of the DP World Tour season, following April's Hainan Classic and the Danish Golf Championship in August, and earn a place in both the Open Championship and the Masters next season.

Joel Girrbach, the third member of the final group, finished one shot behind in third.

Penge said: "Dan and Joel played great today, they were holing putts and I just couldn't really get it in the hole, it felt like I was really up against it.

"But I felt like I managed myself really well and I actually think tee to green, I feel like I played really solid. It doesn't matter the putts, I think I used them all yesterday, but obviously holing that one there was worth the wait."

Penge sent his opening drive into the trees, leading to a bogey. Brown then holed a spectacular 55-foot birdie putt at the second, from the front left fringe and up and over a ridge, to move second on his own.

"Not one you're expecting to hole," he conceded, with great understatement, in an on-course interview on his way up the next hole - where he promptly rolled in another from 37 feet for an eagle that took him within one shot of the lead.

A double-bogey at the next undid that move but he birdied the par-five seventh, where Penge dropped a shot after finding an awkward lie next to a bunker.

Girrbach also closed the gap with birdies at the fourth and eighth while Ugo Coussaud, having holed a long birdie putt at the first and a 15-footer to save par at the fifth, birdied the seventh and tenth to go fourth on his own at 12 under.

A birdie at the ninth took Girrbach, who admitted on Saturday he came into the week simply looking to keep his DP World Tour card for next season, level at the top on 14 under. He gave the shot back at the next but birdied the 11th to restore parity.

Brown received treatment to his right shoulder and neck on the tee at the 12th, where Penge made his first birdie of the day and moved two clear as Girrbach's short par putt lipped out.

Brown looked on the verge of withdrawing after talking to an official and waiting for further attention on the 13th fairway, but bravely continued and hit a superb approach to set up a birdie. Another followed at the 15th despite clear discomfort, with the medical attention seeing him tee off several minutes after his partners.

All three players birdied the 16th, where Girrbach holed brilliantly from 21 feet, and parred the 17th to leave Penge one up going down the last - but he could only make par from a bunker as Brown's birdie forced a play-off. Girrbach's birdie secured third outright and, far from merely keeping his card, ensured he will qualify for the DP World Tour Play-offs.

Brown hit his tee-shot just short of the green as the play-off combatants went back down the 18th, with Penge in the left rough. Both left themselves testing birdie putts after their chips, with Penge holing from around 10 feet.

"I was getting a little frustrated at times but I was reminding myself I was so patient the first three rounds, and that's the reason I played the way I did, so I just tried to stay in the same sort of mindset," he said.

“Credit to the lads, they did unbelievable to catch me, and I'm just very grateful that I can be the one that wins.”

Tom McKibbin finished fourth on 12 under after he birdied the last for a round of 69, with Joakim Lagergren, Jayden Schaper, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Ugo Coussaud tied for fifth on 11 under.

Jon Rahm was ten under after an excellent Sunday 65.