GOTHENBURG – England’s Paul Waring defeated SA’s Thomas Aiken in a play-off to win his first European Tour title at the Nordea Masters, in Sweden, on Sunday.
The duo entered the final round at Hills Golf Club tied for the lead and could be not be separated over 18 holes as they both fired rounds of 68 to get to 14-under on an enthralling afternoon in the rain in Gothenburg.
When they returned to the 18th tee, Aiken put his tee shot in the water and a par from Waring saw him claim his maiden win at the 200th attempt.
For his efforts, Aiken earned R2.7m for his second place finish.
German Maximilian Kieffer finished with three birdies in a 65 to sit at 13-under, one shot clear of in-form Dane Thorbjørn Olesen.
For Aiken, the week represented a welcome return to form for the South African, who has three European Tour victories, but had achieved just one top ten this term before arriving in Sweden.
Thomas Aiken on the 6th hole during the third day of Nordea Masters in Molndal. Photo: Anders Wiklund/Reuters
Earlier, Aiken holed from the fringe on the first to take the lead but Waring responded with a long putt on the second as his playing partner missed a birdie effort from six feet.
An excellent approach into the third left Aiken with four feet for a birdie and he made no mistake to edge ahead.
He almost found the water on the next and failed to get up and down and when he missed the green off the tee on the par-three fifth, it was back-to-back bogeys.
Waring hit his tee-shot to ten feet on the par-three tenth to open up a two-shot lead and while Aiken cut the gap with a birdie after driving the 12th, the man from the Wirral hit another excellent first into the 13th to re-establish his cushion.
A first bogey of the day on the 15th cut the lead to one and Aiken got up and down from the sand on the last for a birdie to set up the play-off.