WESSELINGH WINS PLAY-OFF AT BAD RAGAZ PGA SENIORS OPEN

Enough to make his rivals green with envy -- play-off winner Paul Wesselingh. Picture by courtesy of ©Getty Images.

 

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Paul Wesselingh picked up his second win of the season after a play-off victory over Kevin Spurgeon at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open today.

A birdie at the third extra hole was enough for Wesselingh to take the title, having shot a six under par round of 64 to haul himself into contention and post nine under.

He had started the final day in a tie for 11th and five shots behind the 36 hole lead held by Santiago Luna and Gary Wolstenholme, but seven birdies, an eagle and three bogeys put Wesselingh in the box seat.

However, Spurgeon carded three birdies in his final four holes to draw level, and after the pair halved the first two extra holes in par, it was Wesselingh’s birdie the third time round on the 18th that proved enough to take the title.

“I started off five behind and set myself a target of 10 under to win, but you’re never sure if that’s going to be enough,” explained Wesselingh. “But I started off so well, and being five under par through six holes was incredible, and that’s when I found out I was leading.

“I felt pretty comfortable after that, until I was walking down 14 and I saw I still had a two shot lead. It might not have been a good idea to know that, and straight afterwards I made a couple of bogeys at 14 and 15. But then I made two tremendous putts on the next two, before a silly bogey on 18.

“Then in the play-off I missed a three footer on the second extra hole to win, but on the next I holed from 25 feet and Kevin missed from eight to tie.

“I’m just delighted. I love it here in Switzerland, it is a special place, and I even used to come here on holiday. They make us feel so welcome, and it is a great course and a special win.

“To win twice in a year is good anyway, but now I’m off to America tomorrow for the US Senior Open and looking forward to that. It is really exciting, and has opened up a whole new chapter in my life.”

This is Wesselingh’s third European Senior Tour title in just 19 appearances, and vaults him to the top of the Order of Merit after four events in 2013.

Pedro Linhart (68) and Carl Mason (67)finished three shots adrift in a tie for third, while Bob Cameron (70), Juan Quiros (70) and Wolstenholme (73) all finished a shot further back at five under par.

Luna, who had lead after two rounds alongside Wolstenholme, finished four under par after a 74 on Sunday saw him fall back into tie for eighth.

  FINAL TOTALS 

 Par 210 (3x70)

201 P Wesselingh (Eng) 71 66 64, K Spurgeon (Eng) 68 68 65 (Wesselingh won sudden-death play-off),

204 P Linhart (Esp) 67 69 68, C Mason (Eng) 67 70 67

205 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 64 68 73, B Cameron (Eng) 67 68 70, J Quiros (Esp) 67 68 70

206 S Luna (Esp) 64 68 74, P Jonas (Can) 66 69 71, S Cipa (Eng) 69 72 65

207 P Golding (Eng) 66 70 71, G Manson (Aut) 67 70 70, J Bruner (USA) 70 71 66, L Carbonetti (Arg) 70 74 63, G Ryall (Eng) 66 72 69

208 A Sherborne (Eng) 70 70 68, J Rivero (Esp) 73 70 65, A Murray (Eng) 71 70 67, D Russell (Eng) 70 65 73

209 S McAllister (Sco) 72 70 67, C Williams (RSA) 67 73 69, S Tinning (Den) 73 69 67, P Fowler (Aus) 70 69 70, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 69 68 72, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 70 68 71, P Mitchell (Eng) 73 67 69, J Gould (Eng) 75 66 68, T Thelen (USA) 70 72 67, A Forsbrand (Swe) 68 73 68

210 B Longmuir (Sco) 68 73 69, I Woosnam (Wal) 67 67 76, M Farry (Fra) 73 70 67

211 M Martin (Esp) 76 66 69, P Walton (Irl) 70 73 68, R Thompson (USA) 73 69 69, C Rocca (Ita) 73 69 69, D Smyth (Irl) 73 69 69

212 M James (Eng) 67 74 71, J Spence (Eng) 71 69 72, G Norquist (USA) 70 70 72, M Cunning (USA) 74 69 69

213 J Carriles (Esp) 74 73 66, A Oldcorn (Sco) 74 71 68, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 72 72 69, A Franco (Par) 71 70 72, A Fernandez (Chi) 72 69 72

214 G Ralph (Eng) 70 73 71, J Lindberg  (Swe) 70 70 74, E Darcy (Irl) 76 67 71, J Laforce (Can) 76 68 70

215 M Bembridge (Eng) 68 73 74, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 71 78 66, S Brown (Eng) 75 70 70, J Harrison (Eng) 75 70 70

216 W Grant (Eng) 74 69 73, R Drummond (Sco) 71 75 70

217 G Banister (Aus) 76 71 70, N Job (Eng) 72 74 71

218 S Bennett (Eng) 70 73 75, G Cali (Ita) 71 73 74, M McLean (Eng) 72 74 72

221 G Brand (Eng) 73 76 72, P Way (Eng) 73 73 75

222 M Moreno (Arg) 73 75 74

224 D James (Sco) 74 79 71, M Piñero (Esp) 75 73 76

225 D Westermark (Swe) 77 74 74, D Durnian (Eng) 77 75 73

226 V Garcia (Esp) 80 72 74

 227 A Garrido (Esp) 80 75 72

 231 H Schumacher (Sui) 80 76 75

 232 D Creamer (Eng) 80 75 77

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS