First Tour title in Europe for Catlin

A month after being removed from an event for breaching Covid-19 protocols, John Catlin won his maiden European Tour title in the Andalucia Masters as Martin Kaymer squandered the chance to end a six-year victory drought.

Catlin, who was withdrawn from the English Championship after visiting a restaurant outside the tournament bubble, carded a birdiefree closing 75 at Valderrama to finish two over par, a shot ahead of former world number one Kaymer.

Fifer Connor Syme secured another top 10 finish with a 74 to end the week five behind Catlin.

Kaymer missed closerange birdie chances on the 16th and 17th then bogeyed the last when he found sand with his approach and saw his long par putt pull up just short.

Playing partner Catlin, who took a two-shot lead into the final round, had got up and down for par from over the back of the 17th green and held his nerve to par the last and win by a single shot.

“It’s awesome,” said Catlin, who joins Tiger Woods as the only American players to win at Valderrama. “Tiger is the guy I grew up idolising. I hope one day I can play against him. To have won on a golf course that he’s won on is very special.

“I don’t think it’s quite sunk in that I’ve finally actually won but that was my goal at the start of 2019 to win on the European Tour.

“I wasn’t able to do it last year so it’s very, very nice to be able to get it done this week, especially on a beautiful golf course and one that’s very, very demanding.

“It’s the biggest win of my career for sure. This is the second largest Tour in the world but its very, very close to the PGA Tour and the calibre of play out here is fantastic.”

Kaymer, whose last win was his second major title at the 2014 US Open, had taken the outright lead with a birdie to Catlin’s bogey on the 12th, but promptly bogeyed the 13th.

Both players failed to convert birdie chances on the 16th and Kaymer also missed from six feet on the par-five 17th.

The 35-year-old bogeyed the 17th at The Belfry seven days ago and missed a play-off place for the ISPS Handa UK Championship by a single shot.