Quiros beats Lombard in playoff to win Rocco Forte Open

Spain's Alvaro Quiros contemplates a putt (TT News Agency, Anders Wiklund/AP)

Alvaro Quiros of Spain beat Zander Lombard of South Africa on the second hole of a playoff to win the Rocco Forte Open on Sunday and claim his first title in more than six years.

Quiros had a seven-stroke lead at one point but four bogeys and a double bogey let Lombard force extra holes with both finishing at 14-under– one stroke ahead of third-placed finisher Li Haotong of China.

After both Quiros and Lombard parred the first playoff hole, Quiros also made par on the next hole while Lombard missed a three-footer to end his hopes of a first victory.

"Obviously it shouldn’t have been like that with a playoff, but in the end it’s a victory and that’s the most important thing," Quiros said after his seventh career win. "It’s been a little bit of a mess today — the game wasn’t that bad. Just the last few holes I started to struggle with the wind left to right, and Zander was playing nicely.

"I didn’t have an idea how many shots I was leading by, what I knew on 18 is I have to make a putt to halve with Zander," added Quiros, who regained his European Tour card with the win.

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