GOLF/EUROPEAN TOUR:ENGLAND'S MARK Foster was the nearly man again yesterday as Thomas Bjorn won a five-man, five-hole play-off in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
The 40-year-old Dane beat South African George Coetzee when it came down to the two of them after Foster, who had led three of his four previous European Tour events and not won any of them, took a bogey six on the final hole of regulation play when one ahead.
That dropped him alongside Bjorn, Coetzee, Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger on the 11-under-par mark of 277.
Foster then took six again on the fourth extra hole and, as Bjorn and Coetzee continued, he was left to reflect on the fact he still has not tasted victory since 2003 – 238 European Tour events ago.
The 37-year-old from Worksop had led by three with eight holes to play, but was caught after he bogeyed the 12th and Bjorn, fourth in the British Open last month, birdied the 13th and long 16th.
It was back in Foster’s hands when Bjorn three-putted the short 17th, missing from four feet for the second time in the round.
But driving into the trees down the last meant there was still all to do for the former English amateur champion. There was a gap ahead of him, but his second shot found the rough, he could not make the green in three and his pitch rolled back down a slope to 20 feet.
His putt to win never had the pace to reach the hole and, given what had just happened, he did well to join the play-off.
Wiesberger dropped out first, running up a six after driving into a bush and taking a penalty drop, and Larrazabal went next. He also took six after his chip for birdie from over the green hit the hole, but went nearly five feet past.
He and Coetzee had been involved in a six-hole play-off at Sunningdale in June for a place in the British Open, the Pretoria golfer eventually winning that in near-darkness, and Larrazabal then had a five-hole shoot-out with Sergio Garcia before capturing the BMW International Open in Munich later in the month.
Bjorn, who went closest to winning on the first extra hole when he lipped out from the back bunker, looked as if he might triumph at the third when he pitched to within three feet of the flag.
However, Coetzee followed to five feet and Foster to two. All three birdied and so they went back to the 18th tee yet again.
After Foster’s exit it was finally decided after Bjorn pitched to within three feet for a third successive birdie.
Joint sixth, but only one stroke back, were Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Swede Joel Sjoholm, both of whom had failed to birdie the last.
Peter Lawrie had a disappointing two over par 74 finish to leave the Dubliner on six-under par overall. Damien McGrane’s 71 saw him end on two-under par 286. Simon Thornton shot a level par 72 to finish a further shot back, while Michael Hoey’s 70 put him at one over.
As he eyes a return to the top 50, Bjorn, who also won the Qatar Masters in February, added: “This is my second win this year and I’ve got to be just thrilled with that. Things are going in the right direction and when I get under the cosh I feel pretty comfortable and pretty good.”
