EUROPEAN TOURSCOTLAND'S ALASTAIR Forsyth came from five behind to beat South African Hennie Otto at the first hole of a play-off for the Madeira Islands Open yesterday.
The 32-year-old from Glasgow, who did not make a single halfway cut in his first five starts of the year, fired a closing 67 to take full advantage of Otto's worst round of the week.
Seeking his first European title - he was not even the holder of a full Tour card entering the tournament - Otto followed three opening rounds of 67 with only a level-par 72.
Forsyth, whose one previous victory came after a play-off with Australian Stephen Leaney in Malaysia six years ago, could have taken the first prize of €116,000 without the need for sudden death.
Seven birdies and two bogeys in his first 14 holes put him one ahead, but he bogeyed the short 17th and then both he and Otto birdied the 386-yard 18th to tie on the 15-under-par mark of 273, four clear of England's Gary Clark.
For Forsyth it was the fourth time out of four he had birdied the final hole during the tournament - and he then made it five out of five to capture the trophy.
Clark was the other member of the final group and his closing birdie was important too, putting him third on his own at 11 under. The 36-year-old Londoner's best- ever finish on the circuit earned him €40,000.
Welshman Bradley Dredge, needing to win to move back into the world's top 50 a week before the cut-off for the Masters, finished only joint 15th.
That means Dredge probably has to take the Andalucian Open title at Aloha in Spain next Sunday to earn a return trip to Augusta, where he was only three off the lead with a round to play last year.
Forsyth, pipped by Ian Poulter for the Tour's Rookie of the Year award in 2000, had had 23 top-10 finishes since his first win, but this was the perfect way to put his nightmare start to 2008 behind him.
He returned home from events in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Dubai, India and Malaysia without having picked up a single penny.
It was not the first time Forsyth and Otto had clashed in a play-off. They also faced each other in the 1996 South African amateur stroke play championship - and on that occasion went nine extra holes before the Scot won.
This time a seven-foot putt - the same difference that both had holed from on the 72nd hole - settled the issue after Otto had missed from eight.
"I went into the year feeling pretty good about my game, but I made a really poor start with all the missed cuts," Forsyth said.
"It was the worst start to a year I had ever made, but I had trust in my game and faith in my ability and a lot of trust in my coach Bob (Torrance).
"If he tells you that, it is good enough for me and he was right."
