The DP World Tour has formally awarded Marcel Siem because the ‘Comeback King,’ and rightfully so. The 43-year-old Siem underwent hip surgical procedure in February, roughly one yr after successful the Hero Indian Open, which marked his first title since 2014.
He subsequently missed three months, returning to the Soudal Open in late May, the place he missed the reduce. Siem mentioned he felt previous that week due to his hip, a far cry from the feelings he felt on the 18th inexperienced on Sunday. The German defeated Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland in a sudden-death playoff, making an 8-footer for birdie on 18 to clinch his sixth profession victory on the DP World Tour.
“Holing that putt on 18 was one the good moments in golf for me, and doing it once more in a playoff was implausible,” Siem mentioned.
“I like this sport, and these moments, I work actually arduous for them. When you get rewarded like this, it’s a really particular second. I believe it’s the second-oldest trophy in mainland Europe. So I’ve acquired the French Open and this one now. I’m so pleased with that. My journey is simply starting, it looks like.”
Siem appeared accountable for the match after birdieing the par-3 eighth, as he went on to card a 3-under 32 on the entrance to make the flip at 13-under general.
But the prepare veered off the tracks for Siem on his second 9. He bogeyed the par-4 eleventh, due to a horrible lie he confronted to the suitable of the inexperienced. He then went on to bogey the 14th, sixteenth, and seventeenth holes, dropping him to 9-under-par for the championship and in a dire scenario.
While Siem faltered down the stretch, McKibbin, who carded a 6-under 65 earlier within the day, waited within the clubhouse at 10-under-par. The 21-year-old from Belfast appeared unflappable on Sunday, making six birdies to zero bogies. He posted the bottom spherical of the day on the Adriatic Golf Club Cervia—situated on the Italian coast about 100 miles south of Venice. He waited three hours to see if he would make a playoff, nevertheless it was nearly ok for the victory.
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Meanwhile, Siem, who has a penchant for bouncing again, did simply that on the 72nd gap. He holed a 22-footer for birdie to match McKibbin and power a playoff, which he wound up successful.
Now, the German has two targets in his profession: to play within the Ryder Cup and make it to the Masters. He has by no means performed at Augusta National earlier than. But if he can safe one other victory this yr on the DP World Tour and shoot up the season-long rankings, maybe he’ll earn his PGA Tour card in December via the highest 10 eligibility rankings.
Beginning final yr, the highest 10 gamers—not in any other case exempt—within the last DP World Tour standings obtained invites to affix the PGA Tour. Matthieu Pavon took full benefit of this chance—the Frenchman earned his PGA Tour card in December after which gained the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January, which booked his ticket to Augusta.
Maybe Siem can comply with an analogous blueprint, however he nonetheless has some work to do. His win propelled him 95 locations within the Race to Dubai standings, but he sits in thirty first.
Nevertheless, he had already certified for the Open Championship at Royal Troon, so maybe the ‘Comeback King’ could make some noise there.
The similar mantra applies to McKibbin, who, as a comfort prize, earned a visit to Royal Troon by way of the Open Qualifying Series. The R&A invited the highest two finishers from the Italian Open—not in any other case exempt—to affix the sphere of 156 in Scotland in three weeks. Sean Cocker of the United States obtained the opposite invite.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be positive to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
