AGADIR, MOROCCO: Marcel Siem romped to a three-shot victory at the Trophée Hassan II yesterday but was left with an anxious wait to see if he would be making his Masters Tournament debut in a fortnight’s time.
The 32-year-old German overcame a slow start and the threat of Finland’s Mikko Ilonen to register a third European Tour victory.
Siem needs to move into the top 50 on The Official World Golf Ranking to receive an invite to Augusta National but will have to wait and see how the likes of Henrik Stenson, Russell Henley and Charles Howell III fare at the Shell Houston Open.
The Open de France winner started the day four clear but bogeyed the first and was caught when Ilonen had a hat-trick of gains from the second.
Siem responded with birdies at the fifth and seventh, the latter courtesy of a brilliant approach to three feet, but Ilonen – who recorded both his European Tour victories back in 2007 – matched the latter to remain within touching distance.
The gap was back to two when Ilonen bogeyed the long 10th — Siem had his own problems around the green there but escaped with a par.
The tournament turned decisively in the German’s favor when he birdied the 11th from 10 feet as Ilonen found sand from the tee at the short 12th, could only splash out into rough, chipped four feet past and missed the return putt.
Siem had a two-putt birdie at 15 and could even afford a couple of errant shots over the closing holes as he signed for a two under par 70 and 17 under par total.
Ilonen, who overcame a bout of food poisoning overnight, recovered from his mid-round slump with a pair of closing birdies to tie with England’s 2011 winner David Horsey in second on 14 under.
Siem by three shots at Trophée Hassan II
