TOM MCKIBBIN SECURES OPEN DEBUT AMID PLAYOFF AGONY AT ITALIAN OPEN
Tom McKibbin suffered ecstasy and agony over a bizarre three-hour period when he closed with a superb 65 to claim his debut in The Open before losing out to Germany’s Marcel Siem for the Italian Open at the first playoff hole
Six shots behind Siem, India’s Shubhankar Sharma, Danish rookie Sebastian Friedrichsen and France’s Antoine Rozner with a round to play at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia in Ravenna, the Holywood star went out three hours before the final group and posted a bogey-free, six-under 65 to set the target at 10-under.
He looked unlikely to claim his second DP World Tour title at that stage as Siem turned in three-under to get to 13-under with Rozner 12-under.
But the leaders collapsed down the stretch, forcing McKibbin’s caddie Dave McNeilly to return to the course from the railway station and his father, Robin, to unpack his clubs.
Friedrichsen crashed to a 78 and Sharma and Rozner shot two over 73s to tie for fifth on eight-under, as Siem (43) bogeyed the 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th to fall a shot behind McKibbin on nine-under.
Late in the afternoon, it became apparent McKibbin would win a place in The Open at Royal Troon as one of the top two not already exempt with the other spot going to American Sean Crocker, who tied for third with Germany’s Jannik De Bruyn after hitting a 69.
But he never imagined being in a playoff.
In the end, a bogey at the 17th left Siem needing a birdie at the 18th to force sudden death and he did it, making a 22-footer he celebrated with a huge fist pump as he posted a level par 71 to match McKibbin on 10-under.
In the playoff, Siem hit a superb approach to eight feet as McKibbin fired his to 12 feet.
But after the Newtownabbey native (21) missed his putt, Siem made no mistake with his second birdie at the closing hole in the space of 30 minutes to claim his sixth DP World Tour win.
McKibbin had the consolation of a jump to eighth in the Race to Dubai, putting him in a position to win one of ten PGA Tour cards awarded to the leading non-exempt players in the top 20 in the final standings.
But he also claimed his second major start and can’t wait to make his Open debut alongside Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry at Royal Troon.
“I'm so excited,” McKibbin said before the playoff. “I got a taste for it at the US Open a couple of weeks ago. So I’m looking forward to going to Troon.
“I've never played it, but I went to one of the practice rounds there the last time it was played, and I can't remember anything about it.”
McKibbin was relieved to be able to cancel plans to travel to Final Qualifying for The Open at Dundonald Links on Tuesday.
“Definitely. I've been getting a little tired, and I wasn't really looking forward to going,” he said. “So good to rest up and get ready for the Scottish and The Open.”
He has missed just one cut this season and racked up six top-10 finishes to caress the top 100 in the world.
He tied for 41st alongside Scottie Scheffler in his major debut in the US Open at Pinehurst two weeks ago, matching the world number one when they played together in the final round.
“Yeah, it was a great experience, I think going over there and playing against the best guys in the world,” he said in Italy.
“Pinehurst was probably one of the hardest courses I've ever played, and it might have made the last couple of weeks feel a little bit easier, even though they're definitely not.
“I think that was just a great experience for me to see where my game was at and come back here and play some nice golf after having a few busy weeks.”
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