Austrian Open report and leaderboard: John Catlin beats Maximilian Kieffer after play-off

Leaderboard

-14 Catlin, Kieffer

-11 Kaymar

-8 Higgo, Armitage, Besseling

*Catlin won after play-off

Report

Ben Coley's 66-1 pre-tournament selection John Catlin defeated Maximilian Kieffer on the fifth hole of a dramatic play-off to claim a third win in eight months at the Austrian Open.

The American carded a bogey-free 65 in the final round to set the target at 14 under and it looked like that might be good enough when Kieffer found sand off the tee on the par-three 18th hole when needing a par.

Kieffer showed great nerve in making his up-and-down and when the duo could not be separated after four more trips up the last, the German’s mind must have been cast back almost eight years to the day when he lost out in a nine-hole play-off at the Open de Espana.

But he put himself in serious trouble when he found water off the tee at the fifth attempt, and he did it twice more from the drop zone, recording a quintuple-bogey eight and allowing Catlin – who was also tipped up at 7/1 by Jason Daniels in his final-round preview – to take the trophy with a four.

Catlin won twice on the European Tour in three weeks in September last year and after moving back into the top 100 in the world, he is now aiming for that all-important top 50 and entry into the major championships.

“Top 50 in the world opens up all doors – to play Majors, WGCs, the Players, a certain number of sponsor’s exemptions – that’s basically my goal,” he said.

He added: “It’s just so hard to win. Max was putting it on me the whole day, I had to keep making birdies, pushing forward, I had to make some really good par saves as well. To be the one holding the hardware is very special.”

Kieffer led by four after picking up six shots in his first seven holes with the help of an eagle at the par-five fourth but stumbled with two bogeys around the turn and needed birdies on the 13th and 15th to sign for a 66.

Catlin was always applying the pressure and made seven birdies in his round, with long putts at the 11th and 14th and an up-and-down at the par-five 16th helping him into the play-off after turning in 32.

Former world number one Martin Kaymer entered the final day in a share of the lead but dropped three shots in his first three holes before recovering to post a 70 and finish at 11 under.

England’s Marcus Armitage carded five birdies and a bogey in a 68 to finish six shots off the lead.