EUROPEAN TOUR:SOUTH AFRICAN James Kingston hit back from four successive missed cuts in brilliant style yesterday, winning the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne after a play-off with Dane Anders Hansen.
The 43-year-old, who had not made a penny since The British Open in July, became the oldest winner of the European Tour season thanks to a four-foot par putt on the first hole of sudden death at Gut Larchenhof.
Hansen had gone over the green into a bunker, splashed out well from the wet sand, but lipped out from six feet. A second Tour victory for Kingston – his first was the 2007 South African Open – earned him just under €319,000 and moves him up into the top 50 money-winners on the circuit after starting the week 116th.
The pair were level with four holes to play, but as Kingston rolled home a 12-foot birdie putt on the long 15th Hansen three-putted the 195-yard 16th.
But there was to be another twist. Hansen sank an eight-foot birdie putt on the 17th and then Kingston, ranked only 141st in the world, three-putted from only 20 feet.
No wonder the relief when he clinched victory half an hour later.
Joint third were England’s Simon Dyson, Swede Peter Hanson and another Danish player, Soren Hansen.
All three would have been in the play-off with a closing birdie. Dyson, winner of the KLM Open in the Netherlands three weeks ago, had the best chance, but left his 20-foot attempt just short.
“It was a quick putt and I thought I had it,” said the Yorkshire golfer after his 70.
Kingston shot a closing 69 to Hansen’s 67 as they posted 13 under par totals of 275.
Lee Westwood and Ross Fisher could have gone third on the money list by finishing fourth and first respectively, but neither did enough. Westwood’s 68 gave him a share of eighth place with Scot David Drysdale, while Fisher was four strokes further back in a tie for 18th.
England’s Chris Wood, who did not have a bogey in the first 47 holes and was on course for his first Tour title at that point, dropped back to 12th, while Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie is still seeking his first top 10 finish since June last year. He was only 34th.
Hansen’s day started in spectacular fashion when he sank a bunker shot and two more birdies in the next six holes made him part of a four-way tie with his namesake Soren, Kingston and Hanson.
He had a 30-foot birdie chance on the last and said: “I had the same putt a few years ago and made it. I knew the line and thought I had it again, but it just wasn’t to be today.”
Dyson, in contrast, had started bogey-bogey, but birdied four of the next nine to re-ignite his hopes of another win.
Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke tied on 282 for an eight under par for the tournament. Gareth Maybin shot a four under 68 for a 284 finish, while Paul McGinley had a 73 to close on 285. Shane Lowry had a best round of the week 71 for a 290. Damien McGrane shot a four over 72 for a 292, with Michael Hoey on 298 after a closing 71.
