Otto hangs on for maiden win

South African Hennie Otto finally landed his first European Tour today – but only after he had lost a five-shot lead for the second time in four tournaments.

The 31-year-old, beaten in a play-off by Scot Alastair Forsyth in Madeira in March, was caught at the Italian Open in Milan by England’s Oliver Wilson.

But this time Otto responded by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the 433-yard 13th, and then narrowly avoided a bunker with his final drive.

Needing a par four to win, he had to play his second shot with one foot in the sand and conjured up one of the shots of his life to six feet.

He two-putted for a 69 and 25-under aggregate of 263, one outside the tournament record of Percy Alliss – father of television commentator Peter – way back in 1935.

For Wilson, the 27-year-old former Walker Cup player from Mansfield, a superb 64 meant a third runners-up finish of the season and a sixth in all.

Yet to win, he was left to reflect on a moment of annoyance on Friday when he banged his putter against his bag and bent it.

Unable to use it the rest of the round he actually made three birdies with a wedge on the greens, but his 69 was his worst score of the week.

Swede Robert Karlsson, who broke the Castello di Tolcinasco course record with his Friday 61, finished third and joint fourth were England’s Phillip Archer and German Marcel Siem.

At 22 under par after 54 holes, Otto was only one outside the Tour record held by Ernie Els and David Howell.

He needed a 65 to equal Els’ record 29 under at the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, but understandably his focus was on achieving a win that gives him back his Tour membership.

Ranked 154th in the world, he has won seven times in his home country since turning professional 10 years ago, including a two-stroke victory over current Masters champion Trevor Immelman at the 2003 Tour Championship.

But he received just as much publicity for an incident in the 2001 South African Masters when he was so disgusted by a round of 80 that he snapped each of his clubs in half and threw them in a river.

Putting had been his downfall in Madeira and afterwards he said: “You can be a billionaire, but you can’t buy a putt.”

This was only his third European event since then, but he did not look the same player as he stretched his four-shot overnight lead to five with three birdies in his first five holes.

And after finding deep trouble off the tee at the difficult sixth and looking in danger of double-bogeying he rolled in a 50-footer for par.

But then it all changed. As Wilson completed a run of four successive birdies from the 11th – and that after going to the turn in 32 – Otto pitched into a bunker on the long 12th and took a six.

That brought them level and he went to break his putter over his knee, but Otto had time to regroup and took the £221,303 first prize.

Nick Dougherty, who flew to the event after attending his mother’s funeral on Tuesday, came joint 10th on 17 under after a 67.

“Maybe I’ve got tougher times to come, but I’m pleased I came and with what I’ve done here,” said the 25-year-old from Liverpool.

After playing his first 10 holes in six under he was in fifth spot and still thought there was a chance, but he covered the closing stretch in one over.

Paul Broadhurst finished his 500th European Tour event in a share for 12th, while American John Daly finished joint 23rd after a closing 67, easily his best performance in a year which has seen him crash to 609th in the world.