Super Kalle goes ballistic to rack up first triumph
FAB FINN Kalle Samooja overturned a seven-shot deficit to claim his first DP World Tour title at the Porsche European Open.
And Samooja did it in style by posting a course record eight-under 64 – then had to wait two hours to see if anyone could better the six-under clubhouse target he had set.
Frenchman Victor Perez, who was seeking back-toback victories after winning the Dutch Open, birdied the 10th and 11th to move into a share of the lead, only to bogey three of the next four holes.
Holland’s Wil Besseling then got within a shot of Samooja when he birdied the 13th but ran up a double bogey on the 15th.
Besseling bounced back to birdie the next but when he bogeyed the 17th, Samooja’s victory was effectively assured.
A birdie on the 18th meant Besseling secured outright second place on four under, with Perez and England’s Richard Mansell sharing third place on three under in Hamburg.
Samooja, 34, said: “It’s truly special.
“It’s been a long journey, I’ve been close a few times.
“We had a number in mind and we reached that.
“We thought it might be enough and it was a long two-hour wait at the clubhouse to see guys battle it out. Fortunately it was enough.
“We were pretty sure it was going to be a play-off or that we might even miss the play-off.
“I was just hoping to get a solo second and get a ticket to the US Open but this is a little better.”
Scott Jamieson finished top Scot in a share of 34th spot on four over after a 72 yesterday.
Connor Syme was three further back in a tie for 51st after a closing 74.