Van Pelt comes out on top in battle with Dufner

American van Pelt went into the final day with a one-stroke lead after holing a 60-foot birdie putt on the 18th on Saturday and picked up a shot on the first yesterday to set the tone for his round.

He finished on 16 under overall after carding 68 to beat compatriot Jason Dufner by two shots, with first-round leader Alejandro Canizares three strokes further back in third.

“Jason and I had a great battle and played well. It definitely got tight there at the end but luckily for me I came out on top,” said van Pelt.

“Lake Karrinyup was a great test of golf all week. It’s been a battle; the wind blew, the greens were firm and fast, and it was just a joy to play all week.”

Van Pelt demonstrated nerves of steel around the green and rolled in from 15 feet at the seventh to turn in 32, before picking up his fourth and fifth birdies of the day immediately afterwards.

He two-putted at the 15th to give Dufner hopes of catching up but van Pelt birdied the next and another dropped shot at the 17th proved inconsequential after Dufner had bogeyed the 16th.

Paul Casey finished in a tie for fifth – alongside fellow Englishman David Howell, Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and Rhys Davies of Wales – after a marvellous final round of 67.

The 35-year-old has struggled for form this season after suffering a dislocated shoulder in a snowboarding accident last Christmas but is showing signs of getting back to his best and finished on eight under overall – one stroke behind fourth-placed Michael Hendry.

Suzann Pettersen beat Catriona Matthew in a play-off to claim the KEB-HanaBank Championship despite squandering a big lead in Incheon, South Korea.

The Norwegian had entered the final day with a five-shot lead but she shot the worst round of her week by six shots while Matthew ate into her lead to force a play-off. However, Pettersen kept her composure to sink a five-foot birdie putt on the third play-off hole at the 18th to clinch her ninth career victory.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington has been called into the four-man PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Port Royal in Bermuda tomorrow and Wednesday, and even if he finishes last he will earn £125,000.

Harrington replaces Open champion Ernie Els, who has pulled out with a left ankle injury.