Dunhill Links Championship: Sweden's Robert Karlsson won his second successive European Tour event by securing the Dunhill Links Championship from a three-way sudden death play-off at St Andrews today.

Karlsson birdied the first play-off hole at the Home of Golf to win from Germany's Martin Kaymer and England's Ross Fisher after the trio had finished tied on 10-under-par 278.

The €545,811 first prize takes the Swede ahead of double major winner Pádraig Harrington in the Order of Merit with just four events of the season remaining.

Karlsson, who won the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Germany the week before the Ryder Cup, plans to play one more event before the season-ending Volvo Masters but Harrington is only scheduled to compete at Valderrama.

On a day of low scoring in benign conditions on the Old Course, Karlsson and Fisher set the clubhouse target after matching rounds of 65.

Kaymer held a one-shot lead on the 17th tee but bogeyed the famous Road Hole after coming up short of the green, and then missed a birdie putt for the title from eight feet on the 18th.

The 23-year-old German then also missed from 12ft for birdie on the first extra hole - after Fisher's hopes disappeared when he drove into the Swilcan Burn - but Karlsson made no mistake after a superb approach to three feet.

Harrington went into the final round just two off the lead but could only manage a closing 71 to finish in a tie for 13th.

Rory McIlroy was the leading Irishman in tied eighth on six-under after his closing round of 67. Damien McGrane also shot a final round 67 and moved up into a tie for 24th on three-under. That was one better than Graeme McDowell who signed off with a 68.

Peter Lawrie slipped back to one-under after a 73, while Darren Clarke failed to make any inroads as a 71 left the Dungannon man one-over.