GERMANY’S Marcel Siem defeated Holywood’s Tom McKibbin in a play-off to secure his sixth DP World Tour title after a remarkable finish to the Italian Open.
Siem birdied the 18th to force a play-off and then repeated the feat on the first extra hole to deny McKibbin an unlikely triumph at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia.
McKibbin began the day six shots behind a four-way tie for the lead and teed off three hours before the final group, but carded a flawless closing 65 to set the clubhouse target on 10 under par.
Even that did not look like being enough when joint leaders Siem and Antoine Rozner reached 13 under par, only for the final pair to collapse on the back nine holes.
Siem, who had birdied the third, fourth and eighth, bogeyed the 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th to fall one behind, but then holed from 22 feet for birdie on the last and around half that distance on the first extra hole.
Rozner, who only made the cut with a birdie on the 18th in round two before carding a brilliant 62 on Saturday, reached 13 under after his third birdie of the day on the 12th, but then dropped five shots in the next five holes.
“It was really, really tough,” said Siem, who was playing just his fourth event since undergoing hip surgery earlier this year.
“Everyone was making bogeys and doubles, the wind was swirling and the pins were tucked in the corners.
“Holing that putt on 18 [in regulation] was one of the coolest moments in golf for me and doing it again there in the play-off was fantastic,” added Siem. “I love this sport. It’s so much fun to work hard for it and if you get rewards like this now it can’t get any better at the moment.”
McKibbin, whose caddie had left the course and headed to a nearby train station when there looked no prospect of a play-off, had the consolation of joining American Sean Crocker in securing the two qualifying places for the upcoming Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Crocker finished in a tie for third with Germany’s Jannik De Bruyn but gained the berth thanks to his world ranking.
Meanwhile, England’s Alice Hewson secured her second Ladies European Tour title after beating India’s Tvesa Malik in a play-off in the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open.
Hewson birdied the first extra hole after the pair had finished tied on 11 under par following an extraordinary finish to the final round at Golfpark Holzhausern.
Hewson slam dunked a bunker shot for an eagle on the 17th and then birdied the last to overhaul Ireland’s Lauren Walsh, who had set the clubhouse target of 10 under following a brilliant 64.
Malik then amazingly also holed out from the same bunker on the 17th for eagle and matched Hewson’s birdie on the last to force a play-off, which the Englishwoman wrapped up in style with another birdie.
“I’m a little bit lost for words really,” said Hewson, whose previous win came in the Investec South African Women’s Open in 2020.
“Huge congrats to Tvesa as well. It was an unreal finish from her,” she added.
“It was an honour being out there with her in the play-off. It feels a bit surreal.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this situation.
“Coming from my first-ever event on Tour [which I won], to now, it’s been a journey.
“A lot of ups and downs. I’m lost for words.”