SEOUL, April 28 (UPI) -- Brett Rumford knocked in a 4-foot eagle putt on the first playoff hole Sunday and won the European Tour's Ballantine's Championship in South Korea.
Rumford lost a two-stroke lead over the final two holes of regulation, with a double bogey at the 17th and a poor drive that left him settling for par on 18. That put him tied with Marcus Fraser and Peter Whiteford at 11-under-par 277 after 72 holes.
Rumford hit a better drive on 18 on the playoff hole and, after Fraser and Whiteford failed to reach the green of the 543-yard hole in two, put his approach 4 feet from the hole for the eagle putt.
It was the first European Tour win for Rumford in nearly six years and fourth victory on the tour overall.
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Rumford opened the day two strokes off the lead but, with third-round leader Alexander Noren faltering to a 2-over 74, he closed that quickly. He had birdies on his first two holes and moved in front with four consecutive birdies over Nos. 6-9.
He had bogey at 13 -- for the third straight round -- but got that stroke back at the 14th, leaving him at 13-under. A poor drive on 17 led to a penalty and subsequent double-bogey 6. The closing par gave him a 4-under 68 on the day.
That opened the door for Fraser, who also had a 68 that included eight pars to close the round, and Whiteford, who was 1-over for his final seven holes en route to a final-round 69. Whiteford missed a 4-foot putt on the 18th hole in regulation that would have given him the win.
