MADRID — Marco Penge beat fellow Englishman Daniel Brown in a playoff to win the Spanish Open on Sunday and secure a spot in next year’s Masters and Open Championship.
Penge relinquished a four-shot lead but came out on top with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win his third European tour title this year.
“Dan and Joel (Girrbach) played great today, they were holing putts and I just couldn’t really get it in the hole, it felt like I was really up against it,” Penge said. “But I felt like I managed myself really well and I actually think tee to green, I feel like I played really solid. It doesn’t matter the putts, I think I used them all yesterday, but obviously holing that one there was worth the wait.”
It was the first time the national tournament offered the winner an automatic spot for the Masters and the British Open.
“It’s crazy,” Penge said about playing in the Masters. “It’s a golf course that I’ve always wanted to play, because I feel like my game sets up really good for it.”
Penge, who shot a 1-over 72 on Sunday, finished tied with Brown at 15 under for the tournament.
Brown, whose 31st birthday was on Saturday, started five shots back but he made a run after shooting a 4-under 67 in the final round. That was despite dealing with a right shoulder ailment that required treatment during the back nine. He forced a playoff with a birdie on the final hole.
The 27-year-old Penge also won at the Danish Golf Championship and the Hainan Classic.
Girrbach (69) was four shots back to start the day. The Swiss player finished third at 14 under for the tournament.
Home-crowd favorite Jon Rahm, who was seeking a record fourth Spanish Open title, wasn’t really in contention at the start of the final round, but he closed with a 6-under 65 to finish in a tie for ninth.
Shane Lowry, who like Rahm was back in action after helping Europe win the Ryder Cup in New York last month, didn’t make the cut at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in the Spanish capital.
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