GOLF/EUROPEAN TOUR: Marathon man Pablo Larrazabal beat fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia at the fifth play-off hole to capture his second European Tour title in Munich yesterday evening
The 28-year-old’s victory in the BMW International Open came only 20 days after he lost at the sixth hole of sudden death in a British Open Championship qualifier at Sunningdale.
Now Larrazabal will be going to Sandwich after all – and so will Garcia, whose runner-up finish earned him the other spot off a “current form” mini money list.
After two years in which he has slumped from second in the world to outside the top 80, Garcia began his revival by coming seventh in the US Open a week ago.
But, after making a birdie on the 72nd to force extra holes, he lost when he three-putted the same green an hour later.
It would have been his first success since November 2008, but Larrazabal has to go back five months longer for his previous win at the French Open.
Earlier, Garcia had been two ahead after a magical run of three successive birdies from the sixth and eagle putts of 25 and 40 feet at the ninth and 11th.
Then came four bogeys in five holes, but finding the green in two at the 568-yard last and two-putting enabled him to catch Larrazabal on 16 under par 272, both finishing with 68s.
They first played the 18th twice more – birdied it both times – and then the 12th and 17th, two par threes, could not separate them.
Larrazabal was much the further from the cup in two on their return to the 18th, but he was the one to get down in two for the €327,000 first prize.
Garcia earned €218,000, while joint third two strokes behind were Scotland’s Scott Jamieson after a best-of-the-day 64, England’s overnight leader Mark Foster, South Africans Retief Goosen and George Coetzee and Dutchman Joost Luiten.
Dubliner Pater Lawrie finished with a 69 for a nine-under par total of 279.
Garcia has not missed a major since the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie – the one in which he shot 89-83 to finish in last place and cried in his mother’s arms.
His run looked set to end only a few weeks ago, but he survived a seven-man play-off for four places in the US Open and then showed he is a force to be reckoned with again.
The 31-year-old even took time out from golf last year to try to rediscover his passion – and being invited to join Colin Montgomerie’s vice-captains at the Ryder Cup helped him to do it.
His second place takes him just outside the world’s top 50, while Larrazabal will be back in the top 100 after starting the week 180th.
England’s Simon Dyson and Swede Johan Edfors were in position to take the British Open places before the German event, but Dyson missed the cut and Edfors did not play.
Garcia said: “Making The Open was definitely one of the goals. I wanted to win if I could, but unfortunately Pablo was just a little bit better today.
“I think the play-off was awesome – we hit good shot after good shot. I so wanted to make that putt and I don’t know how it didn’t go in.
“Overall I am pretty satisfied. Sure we can learn some good things from this and move forward.
“Unfortunately I got on a bad roll after the 11th, but the up and down on 17 and the birdie at 18 meant a lot.”
WORLD RANKINGS:Rory McIlroy had something else to celebrate yesterday – a climb to a career-high third in the world.
The US Open champion overtook Martin Kaymer when the German failed to finish in the top eight at the BMW International Open in Munich.
Now only Luke Donald and Lee Westwood are ahead of 22-year-old McIlroy, who is on a three-week break after his eight-shot victory at Congressional.
He returns in the British Open at Sandwich on July 14th-17th, but before that Kaymer is at this week’s French Open and both Donald and Westwood are entered for the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart near Inverness starting on Thursday week.
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR: Inspired by a tip from his compatriot, Christy O'Connor Jnr, Des Smyth captured his fourth European Senior Tour title in thrilling fashion with a sublime round of 65 at the Van Lanschot Senior Open.
After finishing two strokes ahead of Australian Peter Fowler and American Tim Thelen thanks chiefly to a brace of eagles in a regal display at Royal Haagsche Golf and Country Club, Smyth paid a warm tribute to O’Connor, who noticed that his friend’s alignment was out of kilter.
That brief lesson on the range in Cologne last week helped transform Smyth’s game.
The Co Louth man started the day four strokes behind joint overnight leaders Fowler and Thelen, and fell even further adrift after a three-putt bogey on the second green.
But after a confidence-restoring birdie on the fourth hole there was suddenly no stopping the man from Drogheda, as he followed up with an eagle at the next before making another gain at the ninth. The second eagle of the day duly followed on the tenth hole and three more birdies, including one on the last, left him on six under par. Fowler and Thelen were joint runners-up on four under par.
US TOUR:Pádraig Harrington returned a one under 69 to finish down the field, on four-under par 276, in the Travelers Championship played on the TPC River Highland course in Cromwell, Connecticut. Out on the course, Freddie Jacobson of Sweden was leading American Ryan Moore by one shot, on 20-under par, after 14.
