Marcel Siem confirmed his status as the DP World Tour’s comeback king with a playoff victory over Tom McKibbin at the Italian Open that handed him a sixth Tour title.
The German was playing just his fourth event back after hip surgery in February and admitted after round three that he felt like an 80-year-old teeing it up at last month’s Soudal Open.
He looked in fine fettle as he entered the final day at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia and was three shots ahead of clubhouse leader McKibbin – who had set the target at 10 under with a bogey-free 65 – after eight holes.
Four bogeys on the back nine, however, saw him one behind the Northern Irishman stood on the 18th tee and he had to come back again, holing a clutch 22-footer to take us to extra holes with a closing 71.
Both players found the fairway off the tee and hit excellent approaches into the 18th green but while McKibbin missed his birdie chance from around 12 feet, Siem made his from slightly closer range to bring a huge, fist-pumping celebration.
McKibbin has the consolation of earning a place at The Open Championship along with American Sean Crocker who finished a shot out of the playoff, with Siem already exempt for the season’s final Major.
Crocker carded a 68 to sit alongside German Jannik de Bruyn, who took one shot more to get nine under.
South Africa’s Brandon Stone shared 10th position on seven under after carding 70.
– Edited report from DP World website
Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
