Bernd Wiesberger won the Scottish Open after defeating Frenchman Benjamin Hebert in a thrilling play-off at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian.
The 33-year-old Austrian, who was runner-up at last week’s Irish Open, was not to be denied for a second consecutive week, as he triumphed over Hebert with a par on the third extra hole as the light faded over the Firth of Forth.
Wiesberger held a two-stroke lead after 54 holes, but Hebert set the clubhouse target on 22 under par after a stunning closing 62. Wiesberger then joined him on that total with his round of 69.
The pair parred the first two play-off holes, but Wiesberger tapped in for par from four feet to win his second title of the season, after winning in Denmark in May, and move to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings.
There was a consolation prize for Hebert, who earned his place at this week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. He will be joined in Northern Ireland by Nino Bertasio and Andrew Johnston, who carded a closing 62, after they finished in a share of fourth.
Wiesberger said:“I wasn’t even in this tournament eight days ago, but had a great week in Ireland and sealed my spot. I can take a lot of confidence out of the last two weeks going into the final major of the year.
“I’ve always enjoyed links golf, and I’ve had some good results in Scotland, so it’s really nice to be able to stand here with the trophy at the end of the day. It was a long day, but somehow we managed to get over the line.”