Julien Guerrier was already dealing with 230 begins with out capturing his maiden DP World Tour title, so what was one other 9 holes?
Guerrier, a 39-year-old journeyman from Evreux, France, battled crowd-favorite Jorge Campillo all Sunday at Actual Membership de Golf Sotogrande in San Roque, Spain, earlier than a marathon playoff lastly led to his favor, leaving Guerrier the champion of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters.
“I can’t imagine I made it,” mentioned Guerrier, who holed an 8-footer for par, his ninth in as many additional holes, to eradicate Campillo. “As a result of it’s been a very very long time, I’ve been ready for it. We work actually laborious each week for that, however we’ve to remain affected person. … Right now it goes my method, so I’m very joyful.”
Guerrier had twice gained on three completely different excursions (Problem, French and Alps) after an novice profession highlighted by victory within the 2006 British Beginner. However he’d taken awhile to search out his footing at Europe’s highest stage. His 11 top-10s the previous three seasons on the DPWT match his whole since turning professional in 2007. He had three top-3s final season, together with a runner-up on the Porsche European Open, the place he was tied for the 54-hole lead earlier than dropping to Tom McKibbin, practically half his age, by two photographs.
Once more, Guerrier earned himself a share of lead by means of three rounds, beginning Sunday at Sotogrande tied with Campillo at 19 below. Neither participant made a bogey on the entrance 9. Guerrier birdied three of his first 4 holes, Campillo three of his first seven, earlier than a two-shot swing on the par-4 tenth, the place Campillo sank a 23-footer for birdie and Guerrier carded bogey after practically hitting his drive out of bounds and having to play his second shot from the highest of a wall.
Two holes later, nevertheless, Guerrier was on the correct facet of a two-shot swing, two-putting for birdie on the par-5 twelfth whereas Campillo rinsed his second shot and made bogey.
The wild battle continued with a Guerrier double on the par-3 thirteenth, a Campillo birdie on the par-5 14th and Campillo bogey on the par-4 fifteenth. Campillo additionally bogeyed the par-4 18th, the place Guerrier rolled in an 18-footer for par to drive the playoff.
And within the playoff, Campillo had his possibilities, none higher than the 7-footer he missed on the third additional gap (18). Guerrier lipped out a chip on the seventh (18), too. In additional holes, 17 of the 18 scores had been pars.
However ultimately, 230 begins and 9 further holes later, Guerrier was standing as a DPWT winner for the primary time.
“On the final putt, I used to be considering of them, my children, to present me the power to gap it,” mentioned Guerrier, a father of two, “and I did.”
