Karlsson holds nerve for play-off success

SWEDEN'S Robert Karlsson overtook Padraig Harrington in the chase for the European Order of Merit title yesterday when he birdied the first extra hole of a three-man play-off against Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher in the Alfred Dunhill Links championship on the Old Course to collect the winner's cheque for £433,000.

Having produced a storming closing round of 65, to match the ten-under-par totals set by Kaymer, 68, and Fisher, 65, Karlsson seized his chance in sudden death. The Ryder Cup player made a textbook birdie 3 on the first, splitting the fairway with a 3-wood, wedging to three feet and holing the putt to thwart his opponents.

Having taken a week off after the match at Valhalla, Karlsson, 39, followed up his win at the Mercedes with a second successive triumph. Consistently effective throughout the season – he finished in the top 20 at all four majors – the Swede's reliability is similar to the standard once established by Colin Montgomerie in his pomp. The £3million Dunhill marked Karlsson's tenth top-ten finish of a rewarding year.

Karlsson first visited St Andrews in 1990, when he failed to qualify for the Open. "Over the years I learned to fall in love with the Old Course," he said. "I was very emotional at the prize giving and realised this was my best win yet."

Harrington, 71 for 283, knows he now has a battle on his hands to grasp a second Order Of Merit title at Valderrama in a few weeks. "Robert will also be under pressure and we'll have a good match, that's for sure," surmised the Irishman, who dropped nearly £113,000 behind his Ryder Cup partner in the money list.

Even if he does succeed in becoming Europe's No 1 for the first time, Karlsson still believes Harrington will have the edge over him. "Padraig won two majors, so I still rate his season higher than mine," he said.

It's become a tradition at the Dunhill that the turn-out is highest on the last day when admission is charged, rather than when spectators are allowed in for free during the first three rounds. There were 15,970 on hand at the Old Course yesterday to watch Kaymer, Karlsson and Fisher post those ten-under totals.

The 23-year-old German was the favourite to win in regulation play until he came to the Road Hole and failed to find the 17th green from the left rough with his approach.

Although he chipped up to five feet, the par putt slipped past the cup. Kaymer also faced an eight footer for birdie on the last, only to pull the putt a fraction wide.

This meant the Englishman, the Swede and the German faced sudden death. On the first, Fisher drove into the Swilcan Burn off the tee and made bogey. With wedges in their hands, Karlsson chipped up to three feet and Kaymer to ten. The German missed on the right edge of the cup leaving the Swede to clinch a notable success. It was the third time in succession this week he had birdied the Old Course's opening hole. "The more I play here, the more I understand the subtleties and the more I like it," he added.

Finishing off with 69 for five under, Marc Warren was the leading Scot in 14th place. Though he began and finished well when the weather moderated, he struggled in the wind and rain on Friday and Saturday. Warren was also irked by the inconsistency of his putting – a complaint typified by a short missed putt for birdie on the home hole.

"It's been a frustrating week because I played so well from tee to green," he said. "On the back nine today, I had a chance on every hole and only had two birdies, which were tap-ins. I played very well but just couldn't get the ball in the hole.

"I finished one shot off a top ten place and had the putter been working, then ten under for the week would have been an achievable target. I have far more control over the shots I want to hit than I've had for a long time. It's just a matter of time (before he comes good]. I want to win this season. I feel I could do it at any time against any field now. If I get a good putting week, I'll win."

Stephen Gallacher, 65 for 285, also relished the return to gentler conditions as he matched the low round of the day. "I was just too far back to mount a challenge for the title," he said. "But conditions were unbelievably tough at Kingsbarns on Saturday (when he shot 74]. I was out first and it was just a joke. I had to back off one shot on the ninth about 20 times because I thought I was going to be blown over. I hit driver and 3-wood and didn't get it up to the green. When Alastair Forsyth played the hole, he got on with a 3-wood and 9-iron. But that's links golf.

"I've had a few low rounds in Scotland this year. I shot 64 at Loch Lomond on the last day, 65 here and also enjoyed a good day in the third round at Gleneagles. I like St Andrews – it suits my eye – and had chances for birdie on just about every hole. I was never further than 25 feet away. This is where I'll probably have my best chance in an Open.

"I've got a few tournaments left and my goal is to try and play my way into the top 60 on the Order of Merit and play in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama. I was 84th before the Dunhill and think that a top-five finish somewhere over the coming weeks might get me in."

Gallacher enjoyed the company of former US vice-president Dan Quayle, who knows the Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, pretty well. "It went over my head," grinned the Scot. "All I know about American politics is from the West Wing..."

The team competition was won by John Bickerton and the South African businessman, Bruce Watson, on 27 under par. The pair finished a stroke in front of Karlsson and Dermot Desmond, Celtic's main shareholder, who plays off 11. The Dunhill champion and the Irish businessman mounted a spectacular last-day challenge for the team honour with a closing net better ball of 12 under over the Old Course.

SCOREBOARD

Final totals (GB & Ire unless stated, par 72):

278

Robert Karlsson (Swe) 67 70 76 65 (Robert Karlsson won at first play-off hole), Ross Fisher 64 76 73 65, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 65 72 73 68

280

Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 66 72 72 70

281

Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 70 68 73 70 Anthony Wall 66 76 71 68 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 67 71 75 68

282

Paul Casey 72 70 72 68 Rory McIlroy 68 69 78 67 Soren Hansen (Den) 64 73 77 68 Jamie Donaldson 70 70 75 67 Lee Westwood 68 70 76 68

283

Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 72 73 72 66 Thomas Aiken (SA) 66 74 76 67 Marc Warren 66 73 75 69 Charl Schwartzel (SA) 68 72 75 68 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 68 70 77 68 Padraig Harrington 67 71 74 71

284

Nick Dougherty 74 71 74 65 Markus Brier (Aut) 66 70 76 72 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 66 74 76 68 John Bickerton 71 72 70 71 Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 71 72 72

285

Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 75 72 67 Charley Hoffman (USA) 69 72 75 69 Damien McGrane 71 74 73 67 Stephen Gallacher 70 76 74 65 Peter Hedblom (Swe) 69 71 77 68 Marcus Fraser (Aus) 66 77 71 71 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 68 70 77 70

286

Gary Orr 66 72 77 71 Graeme McDowell 68 75 75 68 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 70 72 77 67 Peter Fowler (Aus) 68 76 77 65 Miles Tunnicliff 68 74 77 67

287

James Kingston (SA) 72 75 72 68 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 70 73 76 68 Peter Lawrie 70 71 73 73 Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 68 73 75 71

288

Garry Houston 69 74 75 70 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 72 74 73 69 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 68 76 73 71 Joost Luiten (Ned) 73 73 75 67 Oliver Wilson 69 76 75 68 Louis Oosthuizen (SA) 70 71 76 71 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 68 74 76 70 Thomas Levet (Fra) 67 74 78 69

289

Alexander Noren (Swe) 73 73 73 70 Robert Dinwiddie 75 74 72 68 Darren Clarke 72 74 72 71 Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 68 75 76 70

290

Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 73 75 73 69 Paul Broadhurst 76 69 75 70 Andrew McLardy (SA) 69 74 73 74 Peter Hanson (Swe) 75 71 75 69 Carl Suneson (Spa) 69 73 78 70 Matthew Millar (Aus) 72 77 71 70 Retief Goosen (SA) 67 76 76 71 Richard Sterne (SA) 70 75 76 69

291

Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 75 78 70 David Howell 66 73 80 72 Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 70 73 76 72 Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 70 79 71 71 Bradley Dredge 71 73 77 70

292

Lee Slattery 68 75 77 72

293

Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 68 76 75 74 Steve Webster 70 76 75 72 Justin Rose 71 74 74 74 Alastair Forsyth 70 77 74 72 Greg Chalmers (Aus) 70 75 76 72

294

Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 74 72 75 73 Sam Little 72 77 72 73