It took four extra holes on Sunday before Adilson Da Silva bowed out of the race to win the Legends Tour’s WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Vorbeck Germany and settled for a share of second place.
Da Silva, the leader of that tour’s Order of Merit, closed with a stunning eight-under-par 64, the low round of the day. That put him in a three-way share of the lead at 12-under-par with the English duo of Phillip Archer and Van Phillips.
Phillips clinched his maiden Legends Tour title at the fourth sudden-death play-off hole. An incredibly tense and entertaining afternoon was capped off by a brilliant play-off as Phillips sealed the win with a beautiful approach to 18 inches to deny Da Silva a third win of the season and consign Archer to runner-up spot in the tournament for the third year in a row.
Archer had looked the favourite to seal a maiden Legends Tour title for much of the final round as he raced to seven-under for his first 12 holes of the day to open up a two-shot advantage from Phillips with six holes to play.
Ahead of them on the course, Da Silva started the day five shots off the lead, and he flew through the field with a bogey-free 64. The MCB Road to Mauritius number one parred the 18th to set the clubhouse target at -12, but it looked like it would be at least one short when he signed his card.
Then the drama unfolded. Archer – playing in the penultimate group – slipped back from 15-under after 14 holes with three late bogeys, including one at the final hole. Phillips bogeyed the 15th but a birdie at 17 meant a par at the last would be enough for the title – only for him to three-putt for bogey.
The trio headed back up the 18th for the sudden-death play-off, and when all three players made pars on the first three attempts, play switched to the shorter par-four 10th. Da Silva and Archer again made pars, but a superb wedge to 18 inches and a simple tap-in birdie was enough for Phillips to claim the trophy.
James Kingston closed with a 69 to finish in a share of 35th on one-under, and Keith Horne had a closing level-par 72 as he finished on two-over in a share of 44th.
