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Guido Migliozzi claims dramatic play-off win at KLM Open
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Guido Migliozzi claims dramatic play-off win at KLM Open

Guido Migliozzi won his fourth DP World Tour title at the KLM Open with a sixth birdie of the week at the 18th seeing him prevail from a three-man play-off in the Netherlands.

The Italian entered the final day one shot off the lead at The International but found himself three clear in a tie for top spot at one point and led alone by one early on the back nine before a pair of bogeys left him two behind.

He then birdied the 16th and 18th to sign for a roller coaster 70 and finish at 11 under alongside Joe Dean and Marcus Kinhult.

The trio all made two-putt birdies on the first trip back up the par-five last and while Dean and Kinhult both made par at the second attempt despite the Englishman hitting a poor tee-shot and the Swede finding the water, Migliozzi found the green in two and left himself two feet for a sixth four on the closing hole and a dramatic win.

Migliozzi's victory sees him earn a place at The Open Championship next month alongside Dean, who edged out Kinhult for the second spot by virtue of the Official World Golf Ranking.

Dean came home in 30 to post a closing 68, the same score as Kinhult, with Dane Rasmus Højgaard and Italy's Andrea Pavan finishing a shot out of the play-off.

Migliozzi burst onto the DP World Tour scene in some style five years ago, winning twice in his debut season after coming through the Qualifying School.

He also won the Open de France in 2022, producing possibly the shot of the season to take the title on the last and once again he has won a prestigious national open after late drama.

"I never thought I was done," said Migliozzi, who moves up to eighth on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and third on the European Swing.

"I've always been in position and tried to make birdies and come back and here it is now. It's an incredible feeling, it's been an incredible battle, well done to everybody.

"It's super, super nice to be here now."

Mikko Korhonen started the day with a one-shot lead and when he birdied the eighth, he and Migliozzi were three shots clear of the rest of the field at 12 under in what looked to be a two-horse race.

But as they both stumbled, the chasing pack made their move and on a day when six different players had a share of the lead, it was Kinhult and Dean who made the biggest strides.

Kinhult birdied the par-five third after laying up and did the same at the eighth before dropping a shot on the ninth.

A run of six pars would follow but when he birdied the 16th after an approach to 11 feet, he shared the lead for the first time all day.

Bogeys at the eighth and ninth looked to have ended Dean's chances but they were reignited as he put an approach to eight feet on the tenth and saw tee-shots go even closer on the par-three 11th and 13th.

Another brilliant iron to five feet at the 16th had him in the leading group but ahead at the 17th, Kinhult put his tee-shot to three feet to lead on his own.

Dean then holed a nerveless five-footer on the last to get up and down and secure a closing birdie but more drama was to come.

Migliozzi had left himself six feet at the second and holed from 17 feet at the seventh but he bogeyed the ninth and did well to drop just a single shot at the next, making birdie on his second ball after losing one off the tee.

He put a tee-shot to seven feet at the 11th to lead alone but dropped shots at the 12th and 14th to be two off the lead.

He produced with the pressure on, however, putting an approach to five feet at the 16th and two-putting the last to earn his place in the play-off.

Højgaard shared the lead on several occasions but his chances were gone when he found the water on the 16th in a 70 also containing a double-bogey and four birdies, while Pavan made six birdies in a bogey-free 65.

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin also carded a 65 to finish at nine under, one clear of South African Thomas Aiken, Italy's Matteo Manassero and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, with Finn Korhonen finishing the week four shots out of the play-off.