Spain’s Rafael Cabrera Bello claimed his first victory since 2012 by beating Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin in a play-off for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Shinkwin came to the last at Dundonald Links needing a par five to win the tournament, which is part of the European Tour’s new Rolex Series, but threw away his chance after injudiciously deciding to go for the tricky green in two.
After splitting the fairway with his drive on the 580-yard hole, the 24-year-old Moor Park man paid a costly price for not laying up from there, with his second finding a horrid lie between the hole and a bunker, he took a further four shots to get down and sign for a bogey, which meant a sudden-death playoff with Cabrera Bello, who had earlier fired a final round 64 to rocket up the leaderboard and post the clubhouse target of 13 under par.
The 33-year-old Spaniard got lucky at the 18th during regulation play, as his approach to the green somehow stayed out of the burn. There was nothing lucky, though, about the majestic second at the same hole with a 3-wood from 275 yards to 10 feet that set up a title-winning birdie in the play-off.
Shinkwin had a birdie putt of his own from 12 feet to continue the playoff, but left his attempt an inch short to hand Cabrera Bello’s his third European Tour triumph – his first since the 2012 Dubai Desert Classic.
Shinkwin, who was chasing his maiden win on the tour, had a hardily put a foot wrong until the 72nd hole, but a second-placed prize of just under £600,000 should help soften the blow. As will the fact that he earned a place in this week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, having secured a spot along with fellow top-three previously unqualified finishers Matthieu Pavon from France and Australia’s Andrew Dodt.
The winner, however, was delighted to have finally got his head in front again, after several recent near misses. “I am very pleased, because I have been working really hard to get my third win,” said Cabrera Bello, who is 18th in the world rankings. “Sometimes I’ve made mistakes when I’ve had chances, while other times I’ve given it a good go, only for other people to play just that bit better. This time I really felt I played some of the best golf of my life. I had an unbelievable Sunday, and I was pleased that it worked out my way. Hitting a 3-wood from 275 yards to 10 feet in the play-off was one of the best shots of my life.”
The runner up was sanguine in defeat. “Under the gun, I didn’t miss a shot until the last hole, where I got a bit of bad luck,” said the former English Amateur champion. “I hit a great second shot in, and finished in a divot on a downslope of the bunker. I had no shot, really. I’m still more than happy to finish second, but the win was on my mind and it didn’t happen. However, I have learnt I can complete with the best.”
Pavon birdied the last for a closing to finish third on 10-under, two ahead of Dodt, Matt Kuchar, Anthony Wall, Ryan Fox and Padraig Harrington, who closed with a 66, after sharing the lead at the halfway stage.
Henrik Stenson signed off with a four-under 68 – his best round of the week – but the Swede is pessimistic about his chances of successfully defending the Open title at Royal Birkdale, as Harrington did at the Southport venue nine years ago. “I’m not really where I want to be in my game, and maybe nothing else, either,” he said. “The long game hasn’t been in good shape for a long time, and you can’t really work when you’re trying to perform. But this might be the only time we’re defending champion at the Open Championship, so I might as well enjoy it.”
A last-day crowd of almost 14,000 took the total for the week to just over 51,000. That was up on 41,000 at Castle Stuart last year, although the overall figures were lowered by the shocking weather on Saturday, which resulted in just 7,000 spectators coming out to brave the wind and rain.