Oliver Fisher was proud of his battling display as he pushed Eddie Pepperell all the way on the final day of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
The two English friends started the day tied at the top at 16 under but a hat-trick of bogeys from the fourth sent Fisher tumbling back and when Pepperell birdied the ninth, he was four back with nine to play.
Both men birdied the tenth with Fisher making another gain after a smart approach to the 12th and, while he dropped a shot on the 13th, the 2011 Czech Open champion responded from six feet on the 14th.
A Pepperell bogey on the next left the door ajar before the 27-year-old birdied the next but Fisher followed him in and a stunning tee-shot on the 17th meant he was one back heading up the last.
Both men laid up and while Pepperell was in the rough after two shots, Fisher could not birdie the 18th for the fourth day in a row to take the event to a play-off.
“It went all the way to the last hole which, after my front nine, was what I was hoping for on the back nine,” he said.
“I hit a lot of good shots coming down the back nine and gave myself a lot of good chances but there were just too many bogeys today – four in total – so you’re never going to win a tournament making that many mistakes on a Sunday. But at least I pressed him all the way.
“The course was different today, we had overnight rain last night and this morning we went out there with a different wind to the last few days and the rough was wet. So the course was asking a few more different questions and I probably just left myself with a little more to do.
“I was proud of myself the way I settled myself down and made some good swings coming around the turn. Then I played a lovely shot into 12, shame about the 13th but the 14th was really good and at 15 I made a great save. Then I made a decent swing on the 17th tee.
“It’s not the result I wanted but there was some good stuff there. I had a chance.
“I think it was 268 to the front of the green on the 18th and it was slightly into the wind off a downslope so it was a bit of a shame that I couldn’t give the three wood a crack but it was a chance and that’s all I could have done.
“It was a tricky pin and the greens are fast from above so it had about two and a half holes to borrow on it and it just stayed a little high but it was close.”