CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland: Jean-Francois Lucquin beat Rory McIlroy with a birdie-3 on the second playoff hole yesterday to win the European Masters.
The 19-year-old McIlroy held a four-stroke lead going into the final round, but bogeyed two of the first three holes and then missed a five-foot putt for victory on the 18th to settle for a 71. McIlroy missed a one-foot putt and made bogey on the second playoff hole before Lucquin holed a 12-footer for his first European Tour win in his 175th attempt.
Both players parred the 18th on the first playoff hole after missing birdie putts, Lucquin from 25 feet and McIlroy from 12 feet.
The two had both finished on 13-under totals of 271, after Lucquin shot a closing 67 with four birdies on the first 11 holes.
Miguel Jimenez (67), Gary Orr (67), Julien Clement (68) and Christian Cevaer (68) shared third on 12 under.
“I was very nervous on the first tee but I was confident in my swing,” the 29-year-old Lucquin said. “When I holed that putt, my wife and little boy ran on the green and when I saw them, it was a dream.”
Lucquin’s first victory beat his previous best result of second place in last year’s Malaysian Open.
McIlroy looked to have struck a decisive blow when he sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the long 15th hole to take back the lead but he parred the next two before his bogey at the last.
“Obviously I am very disappointed. I didn’t make it easy for myself starting off but then I thought I battled back really well,” McIlroy said.
He felt he was unlucky on the 72nd hole where his sand wedge took a big bounce into the rough.
McIlroy, who shaved the cup on the first playoff hole, had led from his first round 63 Thursday.
“I can take a lot from this week. I played well all week and played well coming down the stretch,” McIlroy said.
“I came here after three missed cuts in a row and found a bit of form but it would have been nice to go home with the trophy.”
McIlroy was soon overhauled after he bogeyed the second and third. However, he birdied three of the next 12 to take the lead that he looked like keeping until he missed the five-footer at the last.
