Chris Wood Clinches Al Houara Classic With Stunning Final-Hole Bunker Save

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Chris Wood showcased nerves of steel to claim his third MENA Golf Tour title of the season, producing a remarkable bunker save on the 18th hole to win the Al Houara Classic by a single shot at Al Houara Golf Club.

The Englishman closed with a composed five-under-par 67 to finish on ten-under for the tournament, one clear of Pierre Pineau, Mark Power and Joseph Pagdin, who shared second place at nine-under in a tightly contested finish.

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Wood laid the foundation for victory on the front nine, collecting birdies at the second, sixth and ninth to make the turn in control. He maintained his momentum on the back nine with further gains at the 10th and 13th, but the closing stretch turned into a stern mental examination as challengers closed in.

"I had to rely on my fight and grit, my wedge play and my putting to hang in there," said Wood. "After a few holes , I realised it was just one of those days where I needed to stick in and grind."

With Pineau and Power already in the clubhouse at nine-under, and playing partners Joseph Pagdin and Alex Maguire applying relentless pressure, the drama peaked on the final hole. Standing on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead, Wood found the rough on the right, leaving a difficult approach to a tightly cut pin on the right side of the green.

Forced to play conservatively towards the heart of the green, and with the wind at his back limiting spin, his approach drifted into the back bunker. Faced with a nervy 20-yard bunker shot under intense pressure, Wood rose to the moment, splashing out to four or five feet before calmly holing the par putt to secure victory.

"On the last, I hit a tee shot I'm not entirely comfortable with and ended up facing a tough bunker shot up and over a ridge, back into the wind," he said. "It wasn't ideal under pressure, but to knock it to four or five feet and hole the putt was very satisfying. I came here to win, and that's what I've done."

Pagdin had been Wood's closest challenger throughout the final round, playing alongside him in the final group. The Englishman birdied the fourth, fifth and eighth to stay in contention before dropping shots at the 13th and 15th, which threatened to halt his charge. He responded impressively, birdieing the 14th and finishing with a superb closing birdie at the 18th to post nine-under and apply maximum pressure.

"I stayed aggressive towards the finish, and it was nice to birdie the last and apply a bit of pressure," said Pagdin. "Credit to Chris for the way he played today. I'm feeling positive going into the second event – it'll be good to have a day to rest and reset, then get straight back at it."

Earlier, Pineau and Power had set the clubhouse target at nine under with flawless rounds of 67. Pineau picked up birdies at the second and ninth before adding further gains at the 10th, 15th and 16th, while Power recovered from early bogeys at the third and seventh with a spirited response, including birdies at the fourth, fifth and sixth and a stunning run of four consecutive birdies from the 14th to the 18th.

Overnight co-leader Alex Maguire remained firmly in contention until the closing moments, standing on the 18th tee at nine-under before a bogey saw him slip to eight-under and into a share of fifth alongside Egor Eroshenko. Maguire had earlier birdied the fourth, fifth and sixth, and added further gains at the 10th, 13th and 15th, but costly dropped shots at the first and ninth proved decisive.

Jack Floydd, whose sensational second-round 61 had been one of the standout performances of the week, signed for a final-round 69 to finish seventh at seven-under, while England's Luke Joy completed the top eight at six-under.

The MENA Golf Tour's Morocco Series continues this week with the Hilton Classic at Al Houara Golf Club from 2–4 March 2026.

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