Retief Goosen beat Steve Webster of England at the third hole of a sudden-death play-off to capture the Telefonica Open de Madrid and become the first South African winner of the Volvo Order of Merit since 1975. Goosen and Webster were tied on a 20 under par total of 264 at Club de Campo, with the former making a birdie two at the third extra hole to secure the title.
The 32 year old US and Scottish Open Champion was winning for the third time this season and victory concluded a two-horse race for the Harry Vardon Trophy between Goosen and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke.
Goosen, the first non-European to accede to the throne of European Number One since Greg Norman in 1982 and the first from his country to win since Dale Hayes was victorious in 1975, has now won 2,801,351 euro (£1,751,720) this year with Clarke unable to catch him with 1,850, 697 (£1,157,264).
The Irishman made a bold challenge to close the gap on Goosen but had to be content with a share of sixth place in Madrid as the South African closed out the second play-off victory of the most productive season of his career.
Goosen shots rounds of 66-64-66-68 while 25 year old Webster compiled rounds of 68-62-68-66 in his bid for a first European Tour title on his 150th start. England’s Brian Davis closed with a blistering 62, nine under par, to finish joint third with Spaniard Diego Borrego, who almost won the tournament at the last when his second shot hit the hole and bounced out.
Borrego, who started the week in 140th position in the Volvo Order of Merit, two putted for a share of third, but his cheque for 78,820 (£49,287) was sufficient to lift hin to 98th plce and ensure his playing rights remain intact in 2002.
Meanwhile Goosen, leader by two after 54 holes, seemed to have secured the title and the money list when he birdied the 17th to ease ahead of Webster, who had six birdies and just one bogey on his card.
But he bogeyed the last to open the door once more and it was Webster who had the first stab at glory at the 18th, the first extra hole. He punched his approach within five feet of the hole but failed to hit his putt with enough conviction to hole it.
Both players returned to the 18th tee and made solid par fours before returning to the 17th, which Goosen had birdied minutes earlier. This time, he hit a controlled nine iron to eight feet and, after Webster, had used his three wood to putt close from the fringe, the man who won the US Open title after a play-off rolled in his eight footer for another high class victory.
Goosen, who follows Lee Westwood as the new European Number One, said: “I didn’t play well all week, to be honest. My putter saved me.
“Darren Clarke left me with no option but to play this week after he entered, and it’s nice to win this tournament and pull off the Volvo Order of Merit for the first time. It’s a great feeling, especially with so many great names on the Harry Vardon Trophy, such as Ballesteros, Faldo and Montgomerie. I have a long way to go to catch Monty’s seven victories in a row but I regard this as a great honour.”
