Koepka is king in Turkey after Poulter folds
Ian Poulter missed a five-foot putt at the 18th to hand Brooks Koepka the Turkish Airlines Open title.
Koepka himself missed a short birdie putt at the par-5 last to allow Poulter a chance to make birdie and take it to a play-off. Poulter pushed his approach into the greenside bunker before a sublime splash from the sand left a relatively easy opportunity from not far outside gimme length.
But the putt slid wide and Koepka, watching on from the clubhouse, was confirmed champion.
Poulter, who had a six-shot lead at the halfway stage before a third round of 75, said: “Hats off to Brooks for a great round today, obviously he’s played some superb golf there.
“The damage was done on Saturday. That, for me, is really disappointing. I have played three great rounds of golf, and just one blip on Saturday, which is a real shame.
‘I’m going to be angry for a few days,’ says Ian Poulter, who was frustrated by a poor third round © Getty Images
“So you know, it’s frustrating, is what it is. There’s no other word for it.
“Yes, I’m going to be angry. I’ll be angry for a good few days. But that’s fine. I’ll keep myself in my own little room and have a little chat with myself and come out and win next week.”
Poulter looked to have the benefit of seeing playing partner Lee Westwood hole his birdie putt from an almost identical position on the 18th, but added: “It was probably a bad thing that I actually stood there and watched Westy’s putt, because I think he pushed it slightly and it fell in the right edge.
“I knew my putt was going to break right to left. I hit it on what I thought was right edge on a decent pace and it broke across the hole.”
Victory means that Koepka will finish the year ranked inside the top 50, which carries an automatic invitation to the Masters.
Koepka, who won three times on the Challenge Tour last year to gain instant promotion to the European Tour, carded four birdies on the front nine and holed from 40 feet for another on the 10th before a brilliant approach to the 13th set up an eagle from just eight feet. He parred his way to a final round 65 to finish on 17-under-par.
“It’s a special week obviously, these four events and The Race to Dubai are ones you prepare for all year, and to win one of them is very special,” Koepka said.
“I feel like I’ve been playing really well. I’ve been knocking on the door, and these last maybe two, three months, I’ve been very close over here and in the States and I felt like I should have won a couple.
“But I learned something every time, and used that today. I was very relaxed, very calm today, and it showed I guess.
“To look where I was a year and a half ago on the Challenge Tour and now to be a winner on the European Tour is incredible, especially winning four times there and winning out here, it’s very special. So I’m excited to get to next week and hopefully carry my form over.”
Other results ensured that top-ranked Rory McIlroy captured the 2014 Race to Dubai crown, his second in three years, after his nearest rivals failed to win here.
McIlroy will return to competition for next week’s European Tour season-ending DP World Tour Championship with the title in the bag with nearest challengers Jamie Donaldson, Sergio Garcia and Marcel Siem no longer within striking distance.
Turkish Airlines Open leaderboard
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