Dutchman Joost Luiten has ended a decade-long home victory drought by capturing the Dutch Open in a play-off at Zandvoort.
Luiten, 27, also captured a third Tour victory and his second this season after both he and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez ended regulation play tied on 12-under par in the bright but windy conditions on the Kennemer course on Sunday.
Luiten then two-putted for par the first extra hole to deny Jimenez a second Dutch Open title victory and 19 years after his first, and seconds after the Spaniard’s par putt had lipped out.
It is the first time in the 41-year history of the European Tour a Dutch-born player has won two events in a single season and also only the second Dutch-born golfer to win the Dutch Open in a similar period.
“Winning your own national Open for any player is like winning a Major and this is how this win feels,” said Luiten
“I went close a few years ago in but to win now feels just unbelievable and I think it won’t be later tonight when it all sinks in.”
Luiten earned a first prize cheque for 300,000 ($A434,000) that has taken him to top of the Ryder Cup points table.
Jimenez was looking to claim a second Dutch Open victory 19 years after his first and with the 49-year old also seeking to extend by 292 days his record as the oldest-ever Tour winner.
Four players – Frenchman Gregory Havret (66), Ireland’s Damien McGrane (69) and the England pair and former winners Ross Fisher (66) and Simon Dyson (68) – shared third place on nine under par.