Eugenio Chacarra sunk a crucial final-hole birdie to repel Oliver Lindell and seal a one-shot victory at a dramatic KLM Open.
The 26-year-old Spaniard began the final round at The International in a share for the lead with Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg while Lindell was two shots adrift but it was England’s Marcus Armitage and Austria’s Maximilian Steinlechner who flew out of the blocks with two birdies apiece to briefly become the new leaders during the early stages. But Chacarra, a former LIV Golf player, soon found his groove as he approached the turn with birdies at the 8th and 9th and dropped shots from his competitors to seize control of the event by opening up a three-shot lead.
A dropped shot of his own at the 12th provided an opportunity for the chasing pack to gain ground. Lindell did exactly that thanks to a birdie at the 14th to move just a shot behind Chacarra. But Chacarra immediately reacted with a birdie at the same hole to grab control once more. Lindell and Steinlechner emerged as the main contenders alongside Chacarra as the pair made birdies at the 15th to stay on the shoulders of the Spaniard. Nerves looked to have got to Chacarra as he bogeyed the 16th but neither Lindell or Steinlechner were able to capitalize as the latter all but ended his chances with a bogey at the 17th while Lindell was only able to par the hole to leave himself a shot adrift of Chacarra heading into the last. Lindell finished with a flourish as he birdied the 18th to join Chacarra on 10 under leaving the Spaniard requiring a birdie to win the event in regulation. Under pressure, Chacarra prevailed as he two-putted for birdie to card a final-round 70 and secure a narrow victory, only his second on the DP World Tour, sparking jubilant celebrations.
“(I was thinking about) all the people that have been with me through my career,” Charraca said following his triumph.
“It’s nice to win with my dad here. He’s given everything for me since I was little so it was something very unique and I think of him, for sure.”
Victory means he becomes the ninth Spanish winner of the event joining an illustrious list featuring the likes of Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and Sergio Garcia.
Below runner-up Lindell, Steinlechner and Söderberg were joined by England’s Joseph Dean and Spain’s Angel Ayora in a tie for third on 8 under.
What is the next event?
The next event on the DP World Tour schedule, followed by the U.S. Open, is the DS Automobiles 83° Open d’Italia taking place between 25-28 June at Circolo Golf Torino in Italy.