Eduardo Romero became the third oldest winner in the history of The European Tour International Schedule when a birdie three at the first play-off hole saw him defeat Fredrik Jacobson to win The Barclays Scottish Open.
The Argentine, who will turn 48 on Wednesday, and the 27 year old Swede finished tied on 11 under par 273 after Romero closed with a 70 while Jacobson carded a level par 71, but Romero wasted little time in pocketing the 573,016 euro (£366,660) first prize when the duo returned to the 430 yard 18th.
In the centre of the fairway after a perfect drive Romero, who now moves behind Des Smyth and Neil Coles as the oldest winners on Tour, fired a superb pitching wedge to nine feet below the hole and rolled in the uphill putt for his eighth Tour victory.
The win moved Romero from 17th on the Volvo Order of Merit to third with 1,104,831 euro (£706,956) and earned him a place in the World Golf Championships – NEC Invitational at Sahalee Country Club in Redmond, Washington, next month. It also continued his 100 per cent play-off record, having won his only previous encounter, in the 1991 Peugeot Spanish Open when he defeated Seve Ballesteros.
“I played really well this week and I concentrated really well,” said Romero. “My game was perfect. Winning in Scotland is like winning at home, the people are fantastic and the country is very similar with the mountains and lakes, it feels like I am at home.
“This win is perhaps more important for me that the others because I am 48 years old next week. I am not old but compared to some of the young players here, I could be their father. This was very special, a very special moment because all my family were here this week too.”
Ironically Romero did not look winner material when he began his round with bogeys at the second and third holes but he gritted his teeth and battled back. Birdies at the seventh, 12th and 15th moved him back into contention as the remainder of the contenders struggled to make any forward movement.
Three pars figures to end his round saw him into the play-off but the Argentine’s sedate finish was in direct contrast to that of his playing partner Jacobson.
Looking for his maiden Tour victory after five career second place finishes, the Swede looked to be on track when a remarkable par four at the 490 yard 16th hole, after he received two free drops en route, kept him one ahead of Romero.
But he missed a three foot putt for par on the 17th to drop back level with the Argentine and although he bravely holed for par from the same distance on the 18th, he was powerless to stop Romero’s victory on the same green moments later.
“That was absolutely the best chance I have ever had to win a tournament out here and I had it pretty much in control but just over the last three or four holes I got very nervous,” he said.
“I didn’t see much of the back nine at all to be honest, it was all kind of in a fog. I tried to cope with it and hung in the best I could. When I made the four at the 16th I thought that might be a sign that it was my day but I just had a terrible three putt at the 17th which was not the place to do something like that.
“But overall I am pleased. I came into the week never having led a tournament after two rounds by myself, same for the fourth round. I thought I played pretty good golf but unfortunately my putting went a bit off but I was striking the ball very well under pressure.”
As well as the consolation of moving into the top 20 of the Volvo Order of Merit, Jacobson also claimed one of the spots available for this week’s Open Golf Championship at Muirfield through the cumulative money list run from the Volvo PGA Championship to The Barclays Scottish Open.
“I was trying to boost my confidence as much as possible this week so I am going to try and not let myself get down over this and just bring the good things I have done this week into Muirfield,” he said.
Third place was shared between England’s Roger Chapman, whose 68 for ten under par 274 also saw him qualify for the Open, and South Africa’s Tim Clark who joined Chapman on the ten under par mark after birdieing the final two holes for his own 68.
Justin Rose, already a two time winner on Tour this season, took fifth on nine under par 275, while five players shared sixth place on 276, last week’s Smurfit European Open champion Michael Campbell, Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez, Australia’s Stephen Leaney, 1997 Scottish Open champion Tom Lehman and Jean-Francois Remesy of France.
