Munich International Open:Niclas Fasth, the leading European player in fourth place in last week's US Open, kept his form - and his head - to win the International Open in Munich yesterday after the local hero Bernhard Langer had threatened to steal the show.
The steely German, who will turn 50 in August, saw his chance to pounce when the 35-year-old Swede, who was three clear at the turn, had a double-bogey six at the 10th and his lead was cut to one stroke.
Langer's hopes soared when he coaxed in a 25-foot putt - his third of the round from that distance - for birdie on the 17th but he faltered on the last with a par five after a woeful second shot.
Fasth snapped up a two of his own on the 17th to finish on 70 for a total of 275, 13 below par, that left him two shots clear of Langer and Portugal's Jose-Filipe Lima for his sixth European Tour win.
Fasth said he had not looked at the leaderboard until the 15th, when he discovered Langer was only one behind.
"It sharpened me up and I holed three long putts in a row," he said. "But I am playing the best golf of my life right now."
Langer, who had almost pulled out of the event in the first round with a neck injury, said: "I thought about it several times between the 7th and 13th holes as the pain grew worse but I called a physio out on to the course and the treatment he gave me eased it, so I carried on. I didn't feel it the last three days."
After an opening 76, Langer, who has this year recorded four top-10 finishes on the US Tour, hit back with defiant scores of 66, 68 and 67 to set an 11-below-par target of 277 in the one European Tour event on German soil he has never won.
Langer teed off five behind the leaders, mindful no doubt that Mark McNulty in 1994 and Frank Nobilo a year later had won in Munich when trailing by the same margin.
"I came from seven behind to win one event, so I knew if I got a good start anything was possible," said Langer, who has 11 European Tour wins to his name. "I drove the ball really well and made some nice putts to be out in 32.
"It's fantastic to hear your home crowd roaring you on - a unique feeling. I almost got goosebumps. To get into contention every once in a while at 49 is what I practise so hard for.
"I love the adrenalin rush and all the excitement and I knew when Niclas double-bogeyed the 10th I had a chance.
"But I was very unlucky at the par-five 11th, when I hit a good drive but my ball ran three feet through the fairway into heavy rough and I couldn't go for the green, and I missed good chances on the 14th and 16th. I could have got to 14 under but it wasn't to be. That's golf."
Langer knew he had to birdie the par-five 18th to have any hope of following up four previous second-place finishes in the event with a victory and he blasted a great drive.
"Unfortunately I made a bad swing with my second and hooked into an impossible lie, from which I had to aim away from the flag," he said.
So Langer, still weighing up whether to stay on America's main tour, for which he has already qualified, or switch to the 0ver-50s Champions Tour next year, had to settle for the second prize of £117,000.
Lima shared the overnight lead with Fasth, but the closing bogey was only for a 72. Having missed the cut in his previous six events, however, there was still plenty for him to feel satisfied with.
That was not the case for England's Nick Dougherty. Eighth at Oakmont last week he had wanted to win to make almost certain of a place in the Open next month, but after going into the final day third with 47-year-old South African David Frost both managed only 77 and fell to 26th place.
To avoid the qualifying at Sunningdale on Monday week he probably needs a top four finish in the French Open, starting on Thursday.
After that two Open places are awarded and Welshman Bradley Dredge and Australian Richard Green are in position to take them at the moment.
Guardian Service
