Paul Lawrie Match Play: Adrian Otaegui defeats Marcel Siem to win title
Spain's Adrian Otaegui produced a brilliant fightback to win his first European Tour title and break German hearts by beating Marcel Siem 2&1 in the final of the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play.
Siem looked to be in command of the contest as he moved three up after just eight holes, but missed crucial short putts on the back nine at Bad Griesbach Golf Resort.
Otaegui, who had not previously been more than one down in any of his first five matches, birdied the 10th to reduce his deficit and won the next with a par after Siem failed to get up and down from short of the green.
Siem, who was looking to emulate Bernhard Langer and Martin Kaymer in winning a European Tour event on home soil, then missed from eight feet for eagle to win the 12th, but made amends with a brilliant approach to two feet on the next.
However, the 37-year-old German missed from inside three feet for par on the 14th and found himself back to all square when he could not match Otaegui's conceded birdie on the next.
Otaegui also birdied the short par-four 16th after driving the green and took the lead for the first time when Siem missed another putt from inside three feet for the half.
And the comeback was completed in memorable style when Otaegui holed from 25 feet for birdie on the 17th, ensuring he had not needed to play the 18th hole all week.
"I'm just so happy," said the 24-year-old, who has been mentored for the early part of his career by double Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal.
"I played good golf and Marcel missed a couple of shots but I was very, very focused. I knew I could do it and the way I finished was just the perfect finish of the week."
Otaegui, who had earlier thrashed fellow Spaniard Alejandro Canizares 6&5 in the semi-finals, added on Sky Sports: "I hit a very good drive on 15, then a perfect seven iron to one foot.
"We went to the 16th and I thought about hitting three wood or driver and Ian, my caddie, said hit driver to try to pitch it on the green and thanks to him I hit a driver perfect to the back of the green for a two-putt, and then the last putt on 17 was magic.
"I've been playing well all week. There has been a few mistakes but I was very solid all week and I'm coming back with the trophy."
Siem had been eight under par for 16 holes in beating Sweden's Johan Carlsson 3&2 in the semi-finals, with Carlsson going on to beat Canizares by the same score in the third/fourth place play-off.
Final result (Sunday)
Adrian Otaegui bt Marcel Siem 2&1
Semi-final results (Sunday)
Marcel Siem bt Johan Carlsson 3&2
Adrian Otaegui bt Alejandro Canizares 6&5
Quarter-final results (Saturday)
Marcel Siem bt Robert Rock at the 19th
Johan Carlsson bt Anthony Wall 1up
Alejandro Canizares bt Chris Paisley at the 20th
Adrian Otaegui bt Alexander Knappe 2&1
Third-round results (Saturday)
Marcel Siem bt Thomas Detry 3&2
Robert Rock bt Florian Fritsch 2&1
Alejandro Canizares bt Paul Dunne at the 21st
Chris Paisley bt Ashun Wu 1 up
Johan Carlsson bt Marcus Fraser 3&2
Anthony Wall bt Jamie Donaldson 5&4
Alexander Knappe bt Tom Lewis 2 up
Adrian Otaegui bt Ashley Chesters 6&5
Round two results (Friday)
Robert Rock bt Raphael Jacquelin 2up
Florian Fritsch bt Lucas Bjerregaard 2&1
Ashun Wu bt Rikard Karlberg 3&1
Chris Paisley bt Nathan Kimsey 4&2
Jamie Donaldson bt Jorge Campillo 4&3
Anthony Wall bt Haydn Porteous 1up
Ashley Chesters bt Edoardo Molinari 2&1
Adrian Otaegui bt Nino Bertasio 3&2
Marcel Siem bt Mikko Ilonen 2up
Thomas Detry bt Nacho Elvira 3&1
Paul Dunne bt Jens Fahbring 4&3
Alejandro Canizares bt Paul Lawrie 2&1
Johan Carlsson bt Matthew Southgate 4&2
Marcus Fraser bt Maximilian Kieffer 2&1
Tom Lewis bt Zander Lombard 4&2
Alexander Knappe bt Victor Dubuisson 5&4
Round one results (Thursday)
UK and Ireland unless stated
Daniel Im (USA) lost to Lucas Bjerregaard (Den) 6 & 4
Oliver Fisher lost to Florian Fritsch (Ger) 1 down
Scott Jamieson lost to Chris Paisley at the 22nd
James Morrison lost to Nathan Kimsey 2 & 1
Anthony Wall bt Sam Walker 1 up
Gregory Havret (Fra) lost to Haydn Porteous (Rsa) 2 & 1
Adrian Otaegui (Spa) bt Gary Stal (Fra) 4 & 2
Nino Bertasio (Ita) bt Chris Hanson 2 & 1
David Drysdale lost to Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 2 down
Marc Warren lost to Robert Rock at the 20th
Ashun Wu (Chn) bt Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 3 up
Matt Wallace lost to Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 5 & 4
Felipe Aguilar (Chi) lost to Jorge Campillo (Spa) 2 & 1
Jamie Donaldson bt Paul Peterson (USA) 2 & 1
Robert Karlsson (Swe) lost to Edoardo Molinari (Ita) at the 24th
Ricardo Gouveia (Por) lost to Ashley Chesters 4 & 2
Thomas Detry (Bel) bt Eduardo De La Riva (Spa) 3 & 1
Justin Walters (Rsa) lost to Nacho Elvira (Spa) 1 down
Alejandro Canizares (Spa) bt Richard Bland 3 & 1
Mikko Ilonen (Fin) bt Matthieu Pavon (Fra) 8 & 7
Paul Lawrie bt Peter Hanson (Swe) at the 20th
Marcus Fraser (Aus) bt Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 2 & 1
Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) lost to Maximilian Kieffer (Ger) 4 & 3
Alexander Knappe (Ger) bt Lasse Jensen (Den) 2 & 1
Victor Dubuisson (Fra) bt Bradley Dredge 3 & 2
Marcel Siem (Ger) bt Julien Quesne (Fra) 2 & 1
Nathan Holman (Aus) lost to Paul Dunne 6 & 5
Johan Edfors (See) lost to Jens Fahrbring (Swe) 2 & 1
Romain Wattel (Fra) lost to Matthew Southgate 3 & 2
Daniel Brooks lost to Johan Carlsson (Swe) 2 & 1
Tom Lewis bt Richie Ramsay 3 & 2
Sebastien Gros (Fra) lost to Zander Lombard (Rsa) 2 & 1