Share

Romero edges Garcia to Munich title

Munich - Andres Romero, the world number 837, fired a stunning seven-under-par final round of 65 to win his second European Tour title at the BMW International Open in Munich on Sunday.

The Argentinian, 36, went into the final day three strokes adrift of Richard Bland and world No 5 Sergio Garcia, but ended up winning by one shot from that pair and Belgian Thomas Detry.

Romero, who has struggled with form and fitness in recent years, belied his lowly ranking with a fantastic performance to claim his first title on either the European or PGA Tours since 2008.

Detry made the first move, with five birdies on the front nine to briefly take the lead.

A bogey on the par-four 10th put a halt to his charge, as the focus turned to the final group of Garcia and England's Bland.

The overnight leaders started slowly, with Bland playing his first eight holes in one over, while Spaniard Garcia was even par.

But both sprung into action around the turn, as the Englishman poured in three consecutive birdies to the Masters champion's two in three holes as the pair moved a stroke clear.

The previous four years had seen the winner score at least 17 under par at Eichenried, and Romero catapulted himself into a tie for the lead with six birdies in eight holes.

Detry also rediscovered his groove with birdies at 14 and 16, leaving four players tied atop the leaderboard on 16 under with the last group having four holes to play.

The tournament took a dramatic twist, as after Detry had failed to find a birdie at the par-five 18th and signed for a 66, Romero did just that to set the clubhouse target at minus 17.

Bland and Garcia fell back with late bogeys, meaning that they both needed an eagle on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Romero.

Garcia narrowly failed to chip in with his third shot, before Bland's 15-foot eagle putt slid past the right edge to confirm Romero's unlikely victory.

Leading final round scores in the European Tour BMW International Open at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried, Munich, Germany on Sunday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):

271 - Andres Romero (ARG) 67-71-68-65

272 - Richard Bland 67-69-67-69, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 66-70-67-69, Thomas Detry (BEL) 65-71-70-66

274 - Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 67-69-72-66

275 - Tommy Fleetwood 67-71-70-67, Renato Paratore (ITA) 70-70-67-68

276 - Hennie Otto (RSA) 68-69-70-69, Nacho Elvira (ESP) 72-70-68-66

277 - David Lipsky (USA) 71-69-67-70, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 67-69-72-69

278 - Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 67-74-68-69, Scott Henry 69-72-66-71

279 - Joost Luiten (NED) 66-73-69-71, Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 69-66-69-75, Jamie Donaldson 70-71-68-70, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 72-71-66-70, George Coetzee (RSA) 69-70-70-70, Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 71-71-68-69

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE