Max Kieffer of Germany. Photo: DP World Tour
A heart-breaking double-bogey on the 14th hole of the Albatross Golf Resort near Prague, scuttled Malaysia’s Gavin Green’s chances to being the first Malaysian to win an event on the DP World Tour at the D+D Real Czech Masters. Gavin had led by three overnight and seemed focussed on his first win when the double bogey happened. This is Gavin’s second runner-up finish after the Asian Tour’s International Series Singapore tournament last week.
He had an opportunity to force a play-off with a birdie on the final day, but it didn’t happen and the title went German Max Kieffer who posted a final round 66 (seven birdies and one bogey) in a tournament reduced to 54 holes because of heavy rain on day three.
Kieffer, playing ahead, tied for the lead for the first time when the Gavin had a double-bogey six on 14.
Kieffer had a stunning birdie on 17 to claim the outright lead where his approach shot of more than 220 yards effectively earned him the title.
Green (67-63) could only par the last two holes and had to settle for second after a one-under-par round of 71 as his birdie putt on the last lipped out and with it went his chance of a play-off. He finished 15-under-par 201 earning €192,500.00 for his efforts as well as vaulted up the DP World Tour Rankings to 68 position from the previous 80.
Tapio Pulkkanen, runner-up last year to Johannes Veerman, and Louis de Jager tied for third on 14 under.
The Finn had been in contention with six birdies only for his tee shot on 18 to just creep into the water and he was forced to drop, taking his only bogey of the day to finish on 14 under.
De Jager had five birdies and a single bogey in a round of 68 to also finish on 14 under.
South African Zander Lombard was 13 under par following a round of 64 as he picked up eight birdies on the day on an unblemished scorecard to finish on his own in fifth.
Two-time winner Thomas Pieters had started the day three shots behind Green on 11 under alongside Richard Mansell and Marcel Schneider.
The Belgian had a triple bogey seven on 11 when his second shot went out of bounds and he dropped back to 11 under as his challenge for a third win finally faltered.
Schneider tied with Jake McLeod for sixth on 12 under, one shot ahead of Pieters, Wilco Nienaber, Thriston Lawrence, Carlos Pigem and Eddie Pepperell.
Kieffer found it hard to express his feelings about his win.
He said, “It’s tough right now to say what it means. It’s great, I am lost for words a little bit.”
Green had a chance of birdie on the last to force a play-off and Kieffer admitted he was preparing to head back to the course.
He said, “I wanted to be ready in case he made birdie. When the guy from the TV said ‘you’ve won it’ the feeling was ridiculous.
“I don’t know how I feel, I think it will need a few days. I just love golf, I just love to play golf. Even if I had not won I still have a great life, I still enjoy playing golf. So now to win it’s even better.
“You’ve just got to keep trying. I had a few difficult years where I didn’t play well and then this year I feel like I’m playing very well.
“Deep down you never really know in golf so I’m just going to enjoy it. I felt really calm and confident all day, I had a great feeling and I did a great warm-up. I was just ready to attack today.”
Asked what he put his win down to he added: “Hard work, always keep going and keep grinding. You have good days, you have bad days, you have to enjoy the good days and on the bad days you just have to dig deep and keep going.”
