Marcus Fraser pipped Martin Wiegele to the BMW Russian Open title after a sudden-death play-off, both players having registered final rounds of 68 to record 19 under par totals of 269 at the Moscow Country Club.
The Australian secured the title – and a cheque for €66,660 – at the second extra hole, the 18th, with a par four after both players had birdied the same hole first time round.
At the second time of asking, Fraser fired his tee shot into the trees, played out and managed to get up and down from around 75 yards – holing a 12 foot putt – while Wiegele could not match that feat from the greenside rough to hand 25 year old Australian Fraser the title.
Fraser, who won a play-off at the Talma Finnish Challenge on the European Challenge Tour just two weeks ago, secured a one year exemption on The European Tour in just his fourth Tour appearance with this victory, and admitted immediately afterwards that he was stunned at the magnitude of his achievement.
“I’m still in state of shock to be honest with you,” he said. “That was the most pressure I’ve ever played under and I’m just absolutely delighted to have secured an exemption for The European Tour next year.
“It’s a dream for me and now I can hopefully go and win a few more tournaments on the main Tour and work my way up the World Ranking.
“I played really well all week – but at the moment I’m just in a world of my own.
“This is my second play-off win in the last two tournaments I have played and I’d like to try and not make a habit of it, but I’m not complaining at the moment – I’m just delighted to have won.
“I wasn’t that nervous during the play off – I had more butterflies going on the 72nd hole than I had on the extra holes. I just sort of kept grinding it out at that point.”
This is the third Australian victory on The 2003 European Tour International Schedule, following Brett Rumford (Aa St Omer Open) and Adam Scott (Scandic Carlsberg Scandinavian Masters), and also makes Fraser only the 11th player to record three Challenge Tour wins in a single season due to the 'dual ranking' status of the BMW Russian Open.
Peter Hanson of Sweden finished in third place on 16 under, with Scotsman Andrew Coltart, Spainiard Jose Manuel Carriles and Englishman Tim Milford tied for fourth on 14 under par 274.
Pre tournament favourite Coltart, who moved up one place to 29th on the Volvo Order of Merit, praised the standard of play at the BMW Russian Open in a field where the Challenge Tour acquitted themselves superbly.
“It was a good week,” he said. “I played nicely and managed to continue my good form so I’m quite happy. I’m swinging the club really well at the moment and giving myself a lot of good chances and that’s making all the difference really.
“There was never any feeling other than you have to play well to win out here – I’ve played on the Challenge Tour before and it was never going to be easy out here.”
