Golf: Campbell falls away, Fasth wins playoff

GUT KADEN, Germany - Sweden's Niclas Fasth won his second title of the season by edging out Argentine Angel Cabrera in a playoff after a marathon finish to the Players Championship of Europe on Sunday.

The golf tournament was forced into a 36-hole finale after Thursday's play was washed out by heavy rain but Fasth and Cabrera could not be separated until the third extra hole, which the Swede won with a birdie three.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell could not match his US Open win and strong performance at the British Open, falling away in the last round to finish tied for 14th.

Cabrera was left to rue a bogey at the 72nd hole of regulation play before he signed for a five-under-par 67 and a four-round total of 14-under 274.

Fasth, who won the European Tour-sanctioned New Zealand Open in February, drew level with the Argentine by picking up three shots in the last five holes on his way to a closing 68 as the pair finished two shots ahead of their nearest challengers.

Both players parred the 18th twice in extra time before Fasth holed a nine-foot birdie putt there at the third attempt to earn the winner's cheque for US$660,000 ($974,169).

Cabrera, also bidding for his second European title of year after clinching the tour's flagship BMW Championship in May, lost his chance of extending the playoff when he missed from slightly closer range for birdie at the third extra hole.

The Argentine had broken a logjam at the top of the leaderboard with four birdies in five holes from the 13th but lost his chance of overtaking Campbell at the head of Europe's money list with his late slip.

Campbell was unable to rediscover the form that took him into the first-round lead with a 65 and finished seven strokes off the winning mark after closing with a 74.

After a gruelling six weeks on tour, Campbell set off for his New Zealand home and a triumphant tour of his homeland to celebrate his maiden major victory at Pinehurst last month.

On a hectic final day at the Gut Kaden course, the lead changed hands between seven players.

American John Daly, after an indifferent 73 in the morning, vaulted back up the leaderboard with a sparkling 65 to finish in a tie for third at 12 under with Briton Stephen Gallacher, who returned a 69.

Bernhard Langer, with 15-year-old son Stefan working as his caddie, bogeyed the last for a 68 to drop back into a group of four in a share of fifth place at 11 under, three adrift of Fasth and Cabrera.

- REUTERS