Austrian Open:Australian Richard Green has admitted it was a "huge relief" to finally claim his first European Tour title for a decade in a dramatic climax to the Austrian Open.
Green had two putts from 12 feet on the 18th green to seal victory, but charged his birdie attempt three feet past and missed the return.
That meant a play-off with France's Jean-Francois Remesy, who had carded a superb closing 64 to set the clubhouse target on 16 under after a two-hour delay for lightning at Fontana Golf Club.
The players returned to the 18th and this time it was Remesy who faltered, with his approach to the par five finding the rocks on the edge of the water surrounding the green.
The best he could do was a bogey six and Green made absolutely certain of a long-overdue win by chipping to within inches of the hole from the back of the green for birdie to win the first prize of €216,600.
England's Chris Gane eagled the last for a 65 to share third a shot further back alongside Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Swede Michael Jonzon.
David Higgins and Graeme McDowell charged up the leaderboard on the final day to share ninth place. That was worth €24,466 each.
Higgins shot a six-under 65, including and eagle at the last, while McDowell raced home with a 64, including four birdies in his first five holes.
Green sprang to prominence when he won the Dubai Desert Classic in 1997, beating Ian Woosnam and Greg Norman in a play-off.
But until yesterday he had failed to win again despite numerous good chances, and admitted a lack of self-belief had held him back.
"I've had that self-doubt in me for quite a long time," said the 36-year-old from Melbourne, who lost a play-off in the KLM Open to Simon Dyson last year.
"I've got myself into position and played three rounds great but not four, so to get across the line is a huge relief. I was probably as nervous as I've ever been on the 18th green and I think that showed with the three putts. I was fortunate that I got into a play-off and still had a chance.
"My brain was pretty scrambled signing my scorecard but a couple of good words from my caddie gathered my thoughts a little bit."
Green led by three shots overnight but fell one behind after a four-shot swing in the space of a few seconds. The left-hander found heavy rough off the third tee, failed to find the green and then three-putted to run up a double-bogey six, and moments later heard the roar from the group ahead as Jimenez holed his second shot to the fifth for an eagle two to jump into the lead.
Green bounced back quickly with birdies from close range on the fifth and sixth to regain the lead on 15 under par before the weather intervened.
On the resumption Jimenez bogeyed the eighth and despite a birdie on the next, it was Remesy who came out of the chasing pack with five birdies in six holes from the 11th.
The 43-year-old narrowly missed for another on the 18th but was still happy with his performance after making just three cuts in the first 13 events of the season.
Meanwhile, Colin Montgomerie has split with caddy Alastair McLean just days before the US Open at Oakmont. It's believed the decision was made on Friday evening after the Scot one missed the cut.
Montgomerie and McLean initially worked together for 10 years until their first split in May 2002, reuniting in August 2004 just before the Scot was given a wild card for the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills.
Despite his reputation as a hard taskmaster, there will be plenty willing to work for Montgomerie, although it is thought he may hire a local caddy at Oakmont, where he lost a play-off with Ernie Els and Loren Roberts for the 1994 US Open.
