Bjorn Hellgren from Sweden claimed the Saudi Open presented by PIF after a gripping duel with Jack Thompson – at Dirab Golf & Country Club.

Having played together in the same group all week, Hellgren edged it by a shot after closing with a five-under-par 67 to finish on 23-under.

Thompson, tied with Hellgren at the start of the day, shot a 68 in the season-ending event on the Asian Tour.

The Swede led by one playing the par-five 18th, where Thompson just missed his eagle putt from 30 feet. He made four meaning Hellgren needed to draw on all his experience to hole his birdie putt from six feet, which he duly did – for his maiden victory on the Asian Tour.

Malaysia’s Ervin Chang and Charles Porter from the United States tied for third three behind Thompson. Chang shot a 68 to complete a remarkable week that saw him move from 75th to 41st on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, which sees the top-65 keep their cards for next year. Porter, a graduate from this year’s Qualifying School, closed with a 69.

Bjorn Hellgren.

The other big winner today was Japan’s Kazuki Higa who wrapped up the Asian Tour Order of Merit title. He closed with a 68 to finish seventh, to ensure he ended comfortably ahead of Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe in second place. Vincent tied for 15th following a 68, having needed to win or finish second today in order to topple Higa. The diminutive Japanese star becomes the first player from his country to claim the prestigious Merit title.

Victory for Hellgren atones for what has been a testing few seasons playing on the Asian Tour.

He arrived in Asia in 2020 with an impressive resume that included multiple wins in Scandinavia as an amateur and professional. He’d also roomed with American Brooks Koepka when playing college golf at Florida State University.

He finishing tied ninth at Qualifying School in 2020 but only competed in one event before play was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed on Tour he did not quite make the impression that was expected of him, with his best result tying for third in the 2022 Yeangder TPC.

Even before this week he admitted to being exhausted after a long stretch on tour and behaving badly on and off the course. He said a holiday with his family in Spain over the past few weeks helped kept him get back on track and that was most definitely the case this week.

“Super happy,” said the winner.

“I mean, finally. I’m not gonna say I was doubting myself, but I’ve been leading tournaments before in this past five years, and never got it done before. I couldn’t have done it without Graham, my caddie. He kept me calm and present for especially today. So, I’m very proud of myself, my team, and especially my family that keep pushing me.”

The duo were tied at the turn before Thompson missed a short putt on the 10^th to hand the lead to his Swedish opponent. Hellgren then had a lucky break on the next hole, a par four. After finding trouble of the tee he had to lay up with his second, before his third, which was going long, hit the pin leaving him a seven footer for par. He made it to stay ahead.

Jack Thompson.

He then stiffed his approach to within a foot on the following hole for birdie which gave him a two-shot lead after Thompson missed his birdie from 10 feet. A birdie on 17 by Thompson closed the gap to one before a play-off was narrowly avoided on the last.

Added Hellgren, who finished sixth on the Merit list: “We had an amazing four days. I mean, his (Thompson’s) caddy is a good friend of mine who stayed with me this week, Adrian. I’m really happy for Jack also, because he had a good week, kept his job and I said when we were signing scorecards, I couldn’t have done it without him. And I was pretty sure if he made that putt on 18, mine would have been way longer. So yeah, very fortunate to play with him.”

Hellgren becomes the eighth Swede to win on the Asian Tour since 2004 and the first since Malcolm Kokocinski won the AB Bank Bangladesh Open in 2018.

Thompson was another here this week mainly to ensure he kept his card for next year, as he was 62^nd on the Merit. He emphatically did that by finishing 21st on the list.

“Yeah, it’s a tough one,” said Thompson, who birdied three in a row from the third to have the lead early on.

“Obviously, I started off pretty well. I didn’t hit the ball anywhere near good enough today, but just scrambled so well, made some good birdies, holed some good putts. Also missed a couple putts.

“So yeah, I mean, at the end of that, I can’t really complain. I think if you told me I’d finished second at the start of the week before, when I needed to keep my card, I would have been pretty happy. But we obviously want more. Always want more.”

Ervin Chang.

Chang was overjoyed with his best finish on the Asian Tour.

“Honestly speaking, to be very honest, I woke up at 3am couldn’t go back to sleep after that,” said the former SEA Games gold medallist.

“I think because just kind of knowing what’s at stake, and knowing a top 10 finish guaranteed me a card for next year.  And coming to this week, I didn’t buy an air ticket to go home yet, and I’m about to buy my air ticket to go home.”

The other players to narrowly stay in the top 65 this week were Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao (60^th), Filipino Justin Quiban (61st), Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig (62nd), and Sarut Vongchaisit (64^th) from Thailand

Pictures by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.