Ireland's Peter Lawrie beat Spaniard Ignacio Garrido in a sudden-death play-off at the Spanish Open today to claim his maiden European Tour title after coming back from five strokes behind overnight.
Lawrie birdied four of the last six holes for a closing
five-under 67 and a 15-under 273 total at the Real Club, while
Garrido, the leader for the second and third rounds, holed a
35-foot birdie putt on the last for a 72 to match the Dubliner.
Both players birdied the first extra hole but Garrido found
water at the second hole of the shootout to concede the
€333,330 first prize with a bogey to Lawrie's par.
Lawrie's success came in his sixth tour year and five years
after he lost a playoff for the same title to England's Kenny
Ferrie in the Canary Islands.
The 34-year-old Dubliner became the second winner from the
Republic of Ireland in three weeks after Damien McGrane won the
China Open two weeks ago. Last week Darren Clarke, from Northern
Ireland, won the Asian Masters.
"It's been quite a time for the Irish, with my room mate
Damien winning by nine shots and Darren's win last week," Lawrie
told reporters.
"I've been in a playoff for this title before and didn't do
myself justice and now I've done it."
In today's playoff, former Ryder Cup player Garrido, who had
surged into the lead with a course-record 63 in the second round
and led by three shots going into Sunday's finale, looked as though
he would complete his first win for five years when he hit into the
18th green to four feet.
Lawrie had other ideas, however, and sank his 25-footer first
before Garrido holed out too.
At the second extra hole, Lawrie found the green despite
being bunkered but Garrido's approach from the fairway sent his
ball into the lake to end his chances of following father Antonio,
who won the title in 1972.
"I thought I'd won it before Ignacio holed on the 72nd,"
Lawrie said. "Then I hit one of the best putts of my life to keep
the playoff alive."
The pair had finished a stroke better than Denmark's Soren
Hansen, who closed with a 69.
All the promise of a showdown for the home fans between
Garrido and compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez ended when Jimenez
twice found water at the 10th to triple-bogey.
After early leader Jimenez collapsed, Garrido clawed his way
back to the top of the leaderboard, having gone out three-over.
But, crucially, the 36-year-old from Madrid three-putted the
long 16th, missing from four feet for par, to stay a stroke adrift
of Lawrie, who had stormed into the lead with an exhilarating run
which included a 40ft birdie putt on 17.
The normally calm and mild-mannered Lawrie, though, could not
conceal his excitement as he pranced around the green after holing
his 25-footer at sudden-death, the putt that would end Garrido's
hopes.
"I didn't think for one moment he would make it," Garrido
told reporters. "It's a big disappointment but you can't control
what the other player does."
Jimenez shared fourth place on 13-under with compatriot
Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and England's David Lynn.