There are not many occasions that are generally harder for golf fans to watch than a final round that sees a player somehow throw away what appeared to be an unassailable lead.
Anyone in the field at the Farmers Insurance Open would have known that it was going to take an almighty collapse on Sunday to deny Justin Rose the title at Torrey Pines.
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But it is not always the case that a scorecard of nightmares is enough to deny a player a victory.
In fact, one player managed to win on the European Tour despite posting a 79 in the last round.
Remarkably, he still won by three.
The player who won by three despite a final round 79 on the European Tour
The Robert Trent Jones-designed Pevero Golf Club has hosted the Italian Open on just one occasion. That came back in 1978, just a handful of years after it had opened.
In truth, the course proved to be an absolutely brutal test.
Mark James missed the cut after posting a second round score of 111. Meanwhile, there were just two rounds all week that saw a player break 70.
Dale Hayes had not won on the European circuit in nearly three years. The South African did shoot the lowest round all week in Sardinia, with a 68 on day three.
He went on to make history with his 79 in the final round. Hayes ended up on five over par, finishing three shots clear of Vin Baker and Tommy Horton.
Tony Jacklin was one of those who finished in the top 10, seven shots behind Hayes.
Dale Hayes would defeat Seve Ballesteros in very different circumstances the following week
To this day, Hayes’ 79 remains the worst final round score from a player who has gone on to win an event on the circuit now known as the DP World Tour.
Incredibly, Hayes would also win the French Open the following week – albeit in very different circumstances.
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Hayes finished on 19 under par, 11 shots clear of second place Seve Ballesteros.
His final win in Europe came in 1979 at the Spanish Open. He was denied the chance to successfully defend his Italian Open title as he was beaten by Brian Barnes in a playoff at Monticello.
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