Max Kennedy’s bid for a breakthrough win on the hotelplanner Tour came up narrowly short after the 23-year-old Dubliner lost out to England’s James Morrison in a playoff at the Blot Play9 tournament at Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André in Brittany.
Kennedy – in his first full season as a professional after graduating from the University of Louisville – shared the 54-holes lead with Morrison and held a one-shot advantage playing the 18th, only to incur a double-bogey six for a 70 to Morrison’s bogey as both finished on six-under 274.
In the playoff, Morrison – a 40-year-old veteran with two wins on the DP World Tour in his career, including the Spanish Open in 2015 – won with a par on the first hole of sudden death.
Kennedy moved 52 places from 72nd up to the 20th in the updated Race to Mallorca season-long rankings, from which the leading 20 players will earn DP World Tour cards for next season.
“Max played some great golf and my journey to this point has been very different to his and I know his time will come,” said Morrison, who moved to 19th in the R2M standings in his own bid to secure a full European Tour card again.
