Jarmo Sandelin collected his second title of 1999 when he defeated Retief Goosen in a play-off for the German Open at Sporting Club Berlin. Yet some potentially greater prizes await him in the shape of the Volvo Order of Merit and the Ryder Cup at Brookline in September.
The 32 year old Swede virtually assured himself of a place in the European side to meet the Americans in Boston with the victory which lifted him into third place in the qualifying list.
And his cheque for £119,042 sent him hurtling up the Volvo Order of Merit table into third place behind Colin Montgomerie and Goosen – the man he edged out in a dramatic finale at the sun-drenched Sporting Club course.
Both Sandelin and Goosen shot rounds of 68 to finish with 14 under par totals of 274. Then after both men had returned to play the 18th, the Swede emerged the victor with a solid par four while Goosen, who had driven into the rough, found a near impossible lie inches from a bunker and three putted for a bogey.
The tables had been turned on the quiet South African, who last month beat Greg Turner in another play-off for the Novotel Perrier Open de France. Yet the basic facts tell only half the story.
Entering the closing stretch, Sandelin looked certain to add to his Peugeot Open de Espana title at 14 under par, two ahead of Goosen. But Goosen birdied three holes in a row from the 14th and with Sandelin matching his birdie at the 15th, the pair were tied.
At the 17th, Sandelin’s three iron missed the green and he fluffed his first chip, eventually holing from seven feet for a bogey. Goosen was now in the lead.
However at the 18th, Sandelin overshot the green and holed from 12 feet for a par. Goosen, who played a superb bunker shot to three feet, missed with his effort to win the title.
He said: “I hit the putt right. It was a mis-read. I thought the ball moved from left to right but it went straight. My putter was dead all week. If I had made a few I think I would have won. However I am happy with my game ahead of the US Open.”
Sandelin confessed that he thought the title had slipped through his grasp with that fluffed chip at the 17th. He joked: “I did what Rocca did at the Open at St.Andrews! I thought I had lost the tournament in that moment, but I survived.
“It’s a great feeling to qualify for the Ryder Cup now, but also the Order of Merit and being No.1 is a target. Colin (Montgomerie) is a great player and obviously I have to beat him in tournaments where we are both playing. Hopefully one day somebody will put him down!”
Sandelin can’t wait to play in his first Ryder Cup and continued: “I am not proud of the chip on the 17th but I am proud of the two putts on the 17th and 18th. If I had to make some tough putts in the Ryder Cup I will think about this tournament and know I can do it again. I look back and find the good stuff and think about that.”
Another Swede, Pierre Fulke, took outright third place on 276 after a round of 67, thanks to sinking a monster 45 foot putt for a birdie on the 18th. Meanwhile German Thomas Gogele signed off with a sizzling 65 to tie Roger Wessels for fourth place.
Gary Evans finished tied ninth but went home with a glittering Rolex watch on his wrist, the prize for his course record 62 in the first round.
