MUNICH // Sergio Garcia blew the chance of winning his first tournament in over two-and-a-half years when he was beaten by fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal in a play-off at the BMW International on Sunday.
Both players carded final rounds of 68 to finish on 16 under par for the tournament, Garcia birdying the last to set up the play-off.
However, Larrazabal sealed victory — his second on the Tour with his maiden win in the 2008 French Open — on the fifth extra hole in the play-off.
Both players had the chance of birdying the third and fourth sudden death holes, the par-3 12th and the 17th where Garcia's effort came to rest just two inches from the hole while Larrazabal, slightly closer but with a more awkward putt, lipped out.
That took them back to the par-5 568-yard 18th for the third time. Garcia missed an eight-foot birdie putt allowing the 28-year-old Larrazabal to tap in and claim his second tour victory.
Both men, however, secured a place at next month's British Open at Sandwich from the mini-money list compiled from results on the European Tour over the last month.
Earlier in the day, both players had produced a mini-Spanish masterclass as they rose to the top of the leaderboard.
Larrazabal, who went out ahead of Garcia, set the pace with four birdies in his opening nine to turn in 32. Birdies at 10 and 11, however, were cancelled out by bogeys at 13 and 16 and he had to settle for a round of 68.
That appeared to be good enough, though, as Garcia, whose last tournament victory came at the Players Championship in 2008, suffered a collapse on his back nine.
Not surprisingly for a man who tore up the course on Saturday with a stunning 64, he started in confident fashion, with three birdies and an eagle in a front nine 31.
He moved into a two-stroke lead when he eagled the 11th but then suffered a mental meltdown as he bogeyed four of the next five, to trail Larrazabel by a stroke going into the last.
Scott Jamieson played the round of the day, gunning around in 64, with three birdies in the front nine in 33. The 26-year-old from Glasgow started the back nine with a bogey - his only lapse of the day - and followed it with an eagle at the par-5 11th and a further four birdies.
He finished joint third with South Africans Retief Goosen and George Coetzee, Dutchman Joost Luiten and overnight leader Mark Foster who fell away on this final round.
His front nine saw two birdies and three bogeys but another three bogeys at 10, 12 and 14 gave him a round of 72 which ended his hopes of victory.
