Kristoffer Reitan won his first DP World Tour title at the Soudal Open after holding his nerve in a playoff following a stunning course-record 62.
Reitan started the day nine shots behind overnight leader Ewen Ferguson and teed off almost three hours before the last group out.
His Rinkven International GC course record proved enough to join Scotland’s Ferguson and Dutchman Darius van Driel in a playoff.
All three made par on the first trip back up the 18th before the trio all struck their approaches significantly closer when replaying the last for a second time.
After Ferguson and Van Driel missed, Reitan holed from 15 feet to cap a remarkable day which he started in 23rd place.
China’s Haotong Li, South African Thriston Lawrence, American Troy Merritt and English pair John Parry and Jordan Smith shared fourth on 10 under.
Reitan birdied the 1st before dropping a shot at the third and at that stage there was little warning of what was to come, but a further nine birdies saw him join Ferguson on 13 under.
Challengers gradually fell by the wayside in Antwerp, with Ferguson twice dropping a shot over the opening stretch only to immediately birdie the next on both occasions to retake a share of the lead.
Ferguson birdied the 8th from 12 feet to go to 14 under but this time the roles were reversed as he dropped a shot at the next after finding a bunker with his approach, and it appeared to be a question on the back nine of whether the Scot could overhaul the Norwegian HotelPlanner Tour graduate’s clubhouse total.
The deadlock was finally broken when Ferguson drove in to a bunker at the short par-four 16th, only to fire a brilliant effort from 42 yards to tap-in range.
However, the three-time DP World Tour winner could not hold on. Having parred the 17th after laying up, he overhit his approach to the last against the grandstand and failed to get up and down.
“I don’t know what to say, its been a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” said Reitan. “I keep thinking back to a few years ago when I was considering stopping playing because I didn’t find it enjoyable any more, didn’t see progress, and to be able to turn it around the way I have been doing the last couple of years has been amazing – to seal it with victory here is ridiculous.
“[Winning] wasn’t even on my mind. I just wanted to play a good round of golf, been working hard on trying to stick to my process recently. Obviously today I felt like it was a little bit my day and that was evident at the end… I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Van Driel’s run to the playoff was almost as unlikely as Reitan’s. Having drifted out of contention with 11 straight pars to start his round, the Dutchman finally made birdie on the 13th and finished with a spectacular hat-trick of gains, culminating in a 25-foot effort at the last.
Photo: Luke Walker/Getty Images
