Atzenbrugg, Austria (SportsNetwork.com) - Mikael Lundberg poured in a long birdie putt on the first playoff hole Sunday to defeat Bernd Wiesberger and win the Lyoness Open.
Lundberg fired a 7-under 65 to get in at 12-under-par 276. Wiesberger, who was in the final group, closed with a 3-under 69 to join Lundberg at minus-12
The pair returned to the par-3 18th at Diamond Country Club for the playoff. Lundberg hit his tee shot about 40 feet left of the hole, but in a similar spot to where he was on the final hole of regulation. Wiesberger's tee shot went right over the top of the flag and stopped 18 feet behind the hole.
Lundberg's birdie putt dropped right in the middle of the hole. Wiesberger's birdie try slid by the right edge and the title was Lundberg's.
"Today just started off really well on the first couple of holes. I made some really nice putts that changed the whole attitude," Lundberg said. "As for the playoff, what can I say? I didn't hit a great shot and Bernd hit a fantastic shot, but that's golf. Luckily, I had almost the same putt on the 72nd hole so I had the line a little bit, but to hole that putt was fantastic."
Third-round leader Joost Luiten managed an even-par 72 in the final round. He ended alone in third at minus-11. Lee Slattery fired a 6-under 66. He jumped into fourth place at 10-under 278.
Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) and Fabrizio Zanotti (71) shared fifth at minus-8.
Luiten, last year's winner, bogeyed the second and fifth, but had birdied the fourth. He also birdied the seventh to regain the lead, but he bogeyed the ninth to fall from the lead, and he never got back atop the leaderboard.
Zanotti birdied three of the first four holes to grab a share of the lead at 10-under. He dropped shots at eight and 10, and was suddenly three back. He never challenged again.
Lundberg flew up the leaderboard early as he birdied four of the first five holes to climb to minus-9. He was two back at that point as Wiesberger birdied the first and third to get to 11-under
Wiesberger stumbled to a bogey on No. 5. After he parred the sixth, he was tied for the lead with Luiten and Zanotti. Lundberg tripped to a bogey on No. 8 for the third day in a row.
Around the turn, Lundberg got that shot back with a birdie on the 11th. Wiesberger birdied the 10th and was tied in the lead with Luiten.
Lundberg poured in three straight birdies from the 13th to jump into a share of the lead with Wiesberger at 12-under. Wiesberger had birdied No. 13 to get to minus-12.
The Austrian, who won this title in 2012, moved one ahead with a birdie on the 15th. However, Wiesberger gave that shot right back with a bogey on the 16th.
Lundberg parred the final three holes, while Wiesberger parred 17 and 18, and it was off to a playoff for the two.
"I tried not to look at the leaderboards and do my thing because they are great players and they had some par-5s coming up, which I thought they would birdie, so I just tried to put a good number out there and hopefully it was going to take me somewhere close," Lundberg stated. "It's fantastic considering I've had to go back to the Tour School the last four years."
NOTES: Lundberg won for the third time on the European Tour, and he earned 166,660 euros for the victory ... Wiesberger would have automatically qualified for the U.S. Open with a win because he would have moved into the top-60 in the world. He will now have to wait to see the results of the PGA Tour's St. Jude Classic to see if he is in the field ... The tour is off next week for the U.S. Open, but returns to action in two weeks when Paul Casey defends his title at The Irish Open.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.