Rafael Cabrera Bello wins the Scottish Open
The Spanish golfer won a play-off at Dundonald
Spain's Rafael Cabrera Bello claimed an overdue first victory since 2012 by beating England's Callum Shinkwin in a play-off after a dramatic finish to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Shinkwin had looked set for his maiden European Tour title and the first prize of #898,000, only to fluff his chip to the 18th in regulation and then leave a putt to win the #5.4million event short from just four feet.
The pair returned to the 18th for sudden death and Cabrera Bello, whose closing 64 had set a new course record at Dundonald Links, produced a stunning approach to the par five from 275 yards to set up a two-putt birdie.
Shinkwin's approach had finished in an almost identical place as it had on the 72nd hole and after pitching over a bunker to seven feet, the 24-year-old again hit a tentative putt which came up short.
"Obviously I'm extremely happy,'' said Cabrera Bello, who qualified for the 2016 Ryder Cup without winning an event, but claimed two and a half points from his three matches at Hazeltine.
"I've won before and I have been up there so many, many times and things have not really worked out for myself. I was starting to feel a little pressure every time I was up there contending.
"Today I truly believed that it could be my day. I just tried to stay one shot at a time, just waiting for things to come to me and obviously I'm very, very pleased with the entire week. Each day has had its goal and today was just like the cherry on top of the cake.
"Winning again, it's an unbelievable feeling. I think I was overdue. I'm very happy to have gotten that third win, finally.
"I feel that I played some of the best golf of my life today.''
Cabrera Bello had started the day four shots off the lead and, despite going to the turn in 32, was unable to gain much ground as Shinkwin followed six straight pars with a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh.
Further birdies on the 13th and 15th kept Shinkwin out in front, but Cabrera Bello kept up the pressure by picking up shots on the 12th, 14th and 17th before enjoying a slice of luck on the last as his approach hit the right-hand side of the burn which guards the green and bounced over to the other side.
From there the 33-year-old, who had finished runner-up five times since his last win, chipped to three feet for a closing birdie which proved enough for a play-off after Shinkwin dropped his only shot of the day on the last.
The former English Amateur champion, whose caddie Andy Sutton worked for Ben Curtis when the American was a shock winner of the 2003 Open, at least had the consolation of a place at Royal Birkdale and a cheque for #598,000.
"It's been a very good week,'' Shinkwin, who missed six cuts in a row earlier this season and was then disqualified from his next two events, said after a closing 68. "I'll be more than happy to finish second but the win was on my mind and it didn't happen.
"Of course I was nervous but to be fair it was nothing like what everyone probably thinks. I hit a great second shot in (on the 72nd hole) and finished in a divot on a downslope of the bunker. I had no shot, really.
"But it's all a learning curve and obviously if you win, you have to have luck on your side. It wasn't there for me.''
France's Matthieu Pavon also secured a major debut at Birkdale with a closing 66 to finish third on 10 under, with Australia's Andrew Dodt claiming the last place ahead of England's Anthony Wall by virtue of his higher world ranking.
Dodt, who had been scheduled to fly to New York on Monday for a holiday with his wife, finished on eight under par alongside Wall, Padraig Harrington, Matt Kuchar and Ryan Fox.
"I'm over the moon,'' Dodt said after a closing 73. "It's been a big goal of mine to play my first major and it's great news.
"I found myself a little bit mentally fatigued on the back nine. I felt like I used a lot of energy early on in the round and really had to take things a bit slower and take one step at a time a bit because I knew the Open spot was right in line. I had to dig as deep as I could down the stretch.''
Ian Poulter, who began the day in a tie for the lead with Shinkwin and Dodt in pursuit of his first win since 2012, could only manage a closing 74 to finish in a tie for ninth