Singh claims play-off victory

European Tour

Jeev Milkha Singh won the Scottish Open after beating Francesco Molinari on the first play-off hole at Castle Stuart.

Jeev Milkha Singh won the Scottish Open after beating Francesco Molinari on the first play-off hole at Castle Stuart.

The duo were left locked at 17-under-par after 72 holes with a play-off required to separate them.

It was Singh who had the goods when it mattered, birding the 18th on the second time of asking to win the title.

However, while Singh celebrated, Marc Warren was left to wonder how it all managed to go so wrong

The Scot held a three-shot lead heading into the closing nine, with Singh’s clubhouse score of 17-under looking some way off what was required with Warren at 20-under through 12 holes.

However, it all fell apart for Warren with a double bogey at the 15th followed by back to back bogeys on the following two holes as he stumbled to a 71 and a total of 16-under, putting him tie with Swede Alexander Noren and out of contention.

As others faulted, Singh’s score suddenly looked the one to beat and in the end Molinari had to make a 10-foot par putt on the 18 to force a play-off.

Molinari had set the pace throughout, put it was Singh’s cool head at the end that saw him the title and the 518,000 Euros first prize and a place at next week’s Open, a place he had secured by making the play-off, with his Italian opponent already having qualified.

“I was just enjoying a cup of tea and some chocolate cake and watching it on television, and suddenly got excited,” said Singh who was three shots off the pace of Warren when he finished his round.

“I think God has been kind, and I think the field came back and I put myself in a to go in for a play-off – I’m very fortunate.”

The win was even sweeter for the Indian who has endured a tough run, last winning in Austria more than four years ago.

“It has been really tough – frustrating than anything else,” he said. “You feel like your game is coming back and another injury creeps up, but I just stuck myself in there and said that you need to work on the physical side, and I worked hard on that. Everything has paid off, and I just want to think about the good things and not what’s past and I want to look towards the future now.”

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