Maximilian Kieffer’s outstanding birdie putt on the third extra hole at the Open de España has been named The European Tour Shot of the Month for April.
Kieffer, in his debut season on The European Tour, claimed 36 per cent of the vote to edge out Ballantine’s champion Brett Rumford and Sweden’s Magnus A Carlsson.
As a result one luckyMy European Tourwinner has won a green fee for two people atGolf & Country Club Fleesensee, one of the host venues of The European Tour Qualifying School First Stage and Kieffer’s attachment, as well as two nights’ accommodation for both at the Radisson Blu Schloss Hotel at Land Fleesensee, including breakfast.
The venue is also part of theEuropean Tour Propertiesnetwork and offers two 18 hole courses. The Tui Golf Course, set in the heart of the resort and an official European Tour Course, offers a peaceful and challenging test with numerous water hazards, bunkers and fast greens, while the championship Schloss Course has been rated as one of the top three in Germany by "Golf Magazine" and is characterised by large, undulating greens and rolling fairways.
Land Fleesensee, the leisure resort within which the golf club is located, is serviced by a choice of five hotels and a host of other sporting activities, and off-course, one of Europe's largest Golf Academies provides extensive practice and coaching facilities.
Kieffer’s winning shot came during extra holes at Parador de El Saler, Valencia where Kieffer, Felipe Aguilar and Raphael Jacquelin, who is also attached to a European Tour Destination,Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort, all faced off for the title having finished on five under par.
The first two trips down the par four 18thwere halved in pars, before Jacquelin looked like making it third time lucky after a pin point approach to only a few feet.
However Kieffer, after having come up short right of the hole in two, stroked a glorious putt up the slope in front of the green that rolled along the perfect line, with the perfect pace, before falling into the hole for an unlikely three.
Jacquelin would match Kieffer’s birdie to extend play, before the Frenchman eventually triumphed at the ninth extra hole to tie the 1989 KLM Open’s record as The European Tour’s longest ever play-off.
Brett Rumford’s second shot during extra holes at the Ballantine’s Championship came second in the voting with 26 per cent, after the Australian hit a towering long iron to set up a tournament winning eagle at Blackstone GC, while Magnus A Carlsson’s hole out for eagle at the par four 16th, during the opening round of the Open de España, came third with 13 per cent.
Kieffer joins the previous three winners of this award so far in 2013 – Chris Wood (January), Charl Schwartzel (February) and Anders Hansen (March) – in the running for the Shot of the Year prize won by Louis Oosthuizen last season thanks to a stunning albatross two during the final round of the Masters Tournament.
Stay tuned to europeantour.com for the May Shot of the Month competition where a golf break toLe Golf Nationalwill be awarded to another lucky winner.
