Fasth makes birdie putt to win in sudden death
ALVESLOHE, Germany (AP) – Niclas Fasth made a 10-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff against Angel Cabrera Sunday to win the Players’ Championship of Europe. The Swede’s third European Tour victory came after he birdied three of the last five holes, and Cabrera bogeyed his last to force the playoff.
John Daly shot a closing 65 to tie for third with Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher (69) .
“This is by far my biggest win,” said Fasth, who also won the 2000 Madeira Island Open and this year’s New Zealand Open. “This is one of the big ones. It means a lot. I like this.”
Cabrera said he knew his 72nd-hole bogey would be costly.
“I played well today and had a great week,” Cabrera said. “I was clear, but when I made the bogey at 18 I knew the opportunity had escaped.”
Cabrera and Fasth both finished at 14-under 274. Fasth shot 72-68 in the final two rounds played Sunday because of Thursday’s washout. Cabrera shot 68-67.
Daly had putting problems, starting when he damaged his putter on Friday. He used a new putter Saturday to shoot 64, and followed that with a 73-65 on Sunday.
“The putter let me down this week. All week I couldn’t make anything,” Daly said. “This morning I hit 16 greens and made only one putt.”