In a dramatic finish at the Italian Open, Marcel Siem of Germany bested Tom McKibbin from Northern Ireland in a playoff, granting him his sixth DP World Tour victory. Siem secured his place in the playoff by scoring a birdie on the 18th and then repeating his performance during the initial added hole, denying McKibbin an unexpected win at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia.
Commencing the day trailing by six shots and six places behind the frontrunners, McKibbin teed off way ahead of the conclusion group, delivering an impeccable closing 65, thus setting the clubhouse aim of ten under par.
However, this accomplishment appeared insufficient when jointly leading Siem and Antoine Rozner escalated to 13 under par. This advantage didn’t last long, as both players collapsed in the latter nine holes. Siem had successfully birdied the third, fourth, and eighth, yet conceded bogeys on the 11th, 14th, 15th, and 17th, dropping behind by one. Fortunately, he recovered by sinking a 22-feet birdie on the last and approximately half the range on the first additional hole.
Regarding his performance post hip surgery, Siem confessed that the competition was extremely challenging, particularly considering the fluctuating wind and difficult pin locations. Yet, he found thrills in such trying moments, affirming his love for the sport and the rewarding nature of hard work.
In spite of not winning, McKibbin found some solace. He, along with American Sean Crocker, secured the two qualification spots for the Open Championship at Royal Troon. Although Crocker concluded in a draw with Germany’s Jannik De Bruyn, he secured his place thanks to his superior world ranking.