Retief Goosen bogeyed the 18th hole on Sunday and shot a 5-under 67 to win the German Masters by a stroke. The two-time US Open champion’s total score was 20-under 268 after he missed a 3-foot putt for par at the 18th that almost cost the South African his 22nd title.
Henrik Stenson (68), Jose Maria Olazabal (66), Nick Dougherty (68) and David Lynn (67) all finished one shot back at the $3,8-million event.
Goosen, who won for the third time in six weeks, held a two-stroke lead heading into the final hole, but his tee shot veered into the brush.
He was forced to take a drop and blasted a 150-yard shot out of the rough to within three feet of the hole. But the crowd roared when he missed the putt to bogey.
Stenson and Dougherty, playing behind him, had a chance to catch him but settled for pars on their final hole. Goosen passed Michael Campbell as Europe’s top money leader with the $629 000 first prize.
His 12th title on the European tour pushed his earnings to â,¬2,058-million. – Sapa-AP