Jacobson wins at fourth playoff hole

Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson won his third European title of the season on Sunday, surviving a roller-coaster ride with Carlos Rodiles of Spain before clinching the Volvo Masters at the fourth extra hole.

Both players completed the regulation 72 holes in 12-under-par 276, with closing rounds of 70, before Jacobson sealed victory with a rock-solid par at the 18th, the Spaniard having bogeyed after pushing his tee shot right into the trees.

The 29-year-old Swede, winner of the Hong Kong and Portuguese Opens this season, had looked the shakier of the two players over the first three extra holes, but regrouped at the fourth time of asking with an accurate drive on the 18th.

Rodiles could have sealed the European Tour's season-ending event in regulation play when he moved two clear with one hole remaining, but he bogeyed the last after pulling his drive left while Jacobson countered with a brilliant birdie-three.

"That was a really tough battle, but a good battle with Carlos this week," Jacobson told reporters after completing a wire-to-wire victory. "It's been quite unbelievable the way this story has been going, up and down.

"I managed to hit a great second shot at the 72nd hole to give myself a chance for the playoff.

"I got a good start in the early part of the week, which set it all up in the tough conditions," added the Swede, referring to his brilliant eight-under-par 64 in the tugging winds of the opening round.

Playing partners Jacobson and Rodiles had returned to a sun-drenched Valderrama in the morning, some 10 hours earlier, with six holes to complete in the weather-disrupted third round.

They duly set up a titanic battle for the title, Rodiles firing a 69 and Jacobson a 71 as the pair moved six clear of the field, the Spaniard drawing level with the Swede by holing a 25-foot birdie putt from just off the green at the last.

The roller-coaster ride continued in the fourth round, before Jacobson moved ahead by one with just two regulation holes to play.

But the Swede with the unorthodox swing then slipped back with a double-bogey at the treacherous par-five 17th, pulling his tee shot left before finding the water at the front of the green with his approach.

The 28-year-old Rodiles, chasing his first European Tour title, coolly holed a five-foot birdie putt at the same hole and, with the resulting three-shot swing, was two clear playing the last.

But the Swede responded with a superb approach to just three feet on 18, his birdie taking the tournament into extra time as the Spaniard ran up a bogey-five.

At the first extra hole, the par-four 18th, Rodiles had a chance to seal victory but missed a 10-foot birdie putt.

Both players then parred the next two holes, the 18th again and the par-four 10th, before Jacobson finally edged it on 18 to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Pierre Fulke, who became the first Swedish winner in 2000.

Best round of the day came from Britain's Brian Davis, who fired an eight-birdie 66 to secure third place at nine-under 279.

Of the big names in the elite field, Sergio Garcia carded a 71 to tie for seventh at two under while twice U.S. Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal and seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie both returned 73s to share 10th at level par.

No play had been possible on Friday due to heavy rain and strong winds.

World number three Ernie Els had already clinched the 2003 European order of merit title, so the main incentives this week were the first prize of $690,256 and the prestige of clinching the European Tour's grand finale.

Exemptions for two of next year's major championships were also up for grabs.

The top 20 players in the season-ending order of merit earn a place in next year's British Open at Royal Troon, while the top 15 also qualify for the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page