The European Challenge Tour remains in Central America this week for the Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open 2006 - an event that promises to be a very special tournament, as well as, for many of the people involved in the running of the event, a very emotional week at the Cariari Country Club in San Jose. The reason for that is a simple one. It was less than one month ago that the Costa Rica Open's promoter Kai Fieberg lost his life in a tragic car accident.
The news of Kai's death sent a shockwave throughout the TLA and beyond, but the game of golf has responded in the most appropriate manner, with the Tour de las Americas honouring Fieberg by putting his name to the title of the Costa Rica Open. That decision, and the creation of a 'Kai Fieberg Foundation', are fitting tributes to a man who worked tirelessly for the good of the game in Central and South America.
Fieberg's foresight and anticipation played a hugely significant role in making the Costa Rica Open the first, full co-sanctioned event between the Tour de las Americas and the Challenge Tour.
While the TLA have paid Fieberg a fantastic tribute, the 156 players making up the field for the Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open 2006 can pay their own respects by showcasing their talent to the fullest of their abilities and producing a thrilling contest.
This week's competitors need only look at recent Costa Rica Opens to discover that this is an event with a tendency to produce nail biting climaxes. Indeed, the last four Costa Rica Opens have been settled by sudden-death play-offs, with last year's final round producing a particularly thrilling finish.
Kyle Dobbs of the USA, who began the final round one stroke behind third round leaders Sebastian Fernandez of Argentina and Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland, took the title after a roller coaster final day that began with the American dropping a shot on the second hole to slip further behind Fernandez and Hoey.
But Dobbs rallied superbly to take control of the tournament with five birdies in his next seven holes to get to the turn in 31 and take a three shot lead from Fernandez with nine holes to play. The Argentine, who took the 2003 Costa Rica Open title after a play-off with his compatriot, Cesar Monasterio, refused to give up the fight, even as he stepped onto the 16th tee trailing Dobbs by three shots with just three holes to play.
Fernandez got the slice of luck that his determination deserved as Dobbs found trouble in the trees and dropped a shot on the 421 yard par four 16th, while Fernandez made a crucial birdie to cut the lead to just one shot with two holes to play.
Both players made par on the 17th, meaning Fernandez had to seek out a birdie at the 18th in the hope of forcing the Costa Rica Open into a play-off for the fourth consecutive season. The 31 year old Argentine did not disappoint as he shaped a beautiful approach to just six feet and rolled home the birdie putt to ensure the tournament would be settled by extra holes as both players had completed the regulation 72 holes in four under par 280.
Both Dobbs and Fernandez made their way back to the 18th tee to get the play-off underway, and both players produced excellent drives to leave themselves just 120 yards to the flag. This time it was Dobbs who executed the exceptional approach shot, his ball coming to rest six feet from the pin and piling the pressure on Fernandez to produce a birdie making opportunity.
With the pressure on and his adrenaline flowing, Fernandez over-hit his pitching wedge and had to settle for a two putt par as Dobbs sank his birdie putt to capture the first European Challenge Tour victory of his career.
A similar Finish this Sunday afternoon would bring a most appropriate end to the inaugural Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open 2006 - the last of the Challenge Tour's four joint-sanctioned events with the Tour de las Americas in 2006.
