(Reuters) – England’s Simon Dyson claimed his second title of the season when he beat Australian Richard Green at the first extra hole of a sudden-death play-off in The KLM Open at the Kennemer Golf & Country Club.
Dyson's birdie three on the 18th hole separated the pair, who had finished on 14 under par 270, a stroke ahead of Ireland's Damien McGrane.
McGrane led the field by three strokes going into the final round but the Irishman paid for being becalmed for the first eight holes, allowing Dyson, who closed with a 66, and Green, firing a 65, to overtake him.
When the play-off pair took on the 18th for the second time of asking in theday, Dyson's pitch and putt from 12 feet feet, saw him add to his maiden title in March, the Enjoy Jakarta HSBC Indonesia Open.
Green, who surprised the golfing world in 1997 by beating Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam in a play-off for the Dubai Desert Classic title, had to settle for his sixth European Tour second place since his win in Dubai, one of them in this event in 2004.
Both the shoot-out pair finished strongly, Green with two birdies in the last three holes. Englishman Dyson matched the Australian left-hander by picking up three shots in the last four holes.
It was a nervy finish by Dyson, though, as his par putt on the 72nd hole from only two feet nearly missed the cup. "I played the best golf I played all week for the last four holes," said the 28 year old.
"The short putt at the last I hit too straight and firm but the putt at the playoff hole dropped deadweight. My first win felt special but this one means so much more because of winning in Europe.
Having moved to 14th on The European Tour Order of Merit, Dyson has an even loftier ambition. "Now I want to win another but I'm running out of tournaments. Valderrama [Volvo Masters] would be the icing on the cake."
Runner-up Green, who broke the course record by two strokes with a 62 in the third round to storm through the field, said: "I've given it as good an effort over the weekend as I could and I know I'm now playing good enough to win a another tournament soon."
The Australian, 66th in the world rankings before this result, will move on to Medinah, Illinois, to play the US PGA Championship. Dyson has not qualified.
McGrane, who only made the transition from club professional to touring professional three years ago, said: "I wasn't holing the putts I was sneaking in over the past couple of days."
The final day saw players wear black ribbons in sympathy with Darren Clarke, whose wife Heather died in the morning after a long battle with cancer.
Clarke's great friend Paul McGinley decided to finish off the tournament,even though he confessed his "mind was not on the job at all.”
Colin Montgomerie said he admired McGinley's decision to withdraw from next week's US PGA Championship, which could cost the Irishman Ryder Cup qualification. "All credit to him," said the Scot.
McGinley closed with a 70 to finish six-under. His tenth place on Europe's Ryder Cup table was not under threat this week, as his closest rival Paul Broadhurst of England missed the cut.
