Bernd Wiesberger wins Scottish Open after playoff

Bernd Wiesberger has won the Scottish Open title after beating Benjamin Hebert in a playoff at The Renaissance Club.

The Austrian led overnight and posted a score of two-under for the day to finish on 22-under while Frenchman Hebert posted a nine-under 62 to force a playoff in North Berwick.

England’s Andrew “Beef” Johnston qualified for next week’s Open after finishing in the top-10 and will be joined in Northern Ireland by Hebert and Italy’s Nino Bertasio.

Lee Slattery, who led the tournament earlier in the week, and Welshman Jamie Donaldson miss out on a place at Portrush after finishing one shot off the top-10.

Embed from Getty Images

Wiesberger holds on after Hebert impresses

Wiesberger had led the tournament since posting a 10-under 61 during Friday’s second round but a two-under final round, his worst of the tournament, allowed the rest of the field to catch him.

Hebert was the man who took his opportunity. He has only qualified for one Major, the 2008 Open where he missed the cut, but will be at Royal Portrush next week after a superb nine-under launched him into contention.

But the 32-year-old fell just short in the third hole of the playoff. Hebert had a chance to finish it but missed a birdie putt on the 18th after Wiesberger had holed for par.

Embed from Getty Images

The pair had to go back to the 18th tee twice more and Hebert should have taken advantage of a Wiesberger bogey but missed again.

Wiesberger made Hebert pay at the third time of asking when Hebert missed a putt for par to let Wiesberger claim victory.

“That was something different,” Wiesberger told reporters. “I’ve got to be grateful for how the week turned out.

Embed from Getty Images

“Benjamin had me on the first two play-off holes and that’s somehow how golf goes. He’s had a great week. I’m very appreciative of now standing here winning this tournament.

“I knew it was going to be the biggest tournament that I’ve been in a position to win, maybe just together with the PGA Championship a couple of years ago.

“I didn’t hit my iron shots too well and struggled a little bit. I had to dig deep. You get your reward every now and then.

“I can’t be in better spirits. I’m really looking forward to teeing it up in Portrush. We are starting all at zero next week at Portrush.”

Cover Photo: Cyrille Bertin [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.