Kristoffer Broberg celebrates maiden European Tour title at BMW Masters
Sunday 15 November 2015 11:04, UK
An emotional Kristoffer Broberg described his BMW Masters victory as a "dream come true" after landing his maiden European Tour title.
Broberg has won four times on the Challenge Tour, but he claimed by far the biggest success of his career after he held his nerve to birdie the first play-off hole against Patrick Reed at Lake Malaren.
Both players had finished tied at the top on 17 under, while Henrik Stenson, Thongchai Jaidee and Byeong Hun An all missed excellent chances to join the play-off on the final green.
"It's a dream come true," said Broberg, whose victory was the 100th for a Swedish player on the European Tour. "I have worked so hard all my life for this. I have no words. I'm just so happy to win on the main tour, because I won four times on the Challenge Tour.
"The players out here are really, really good and this field is just a really good field. So I'm just happy to beat all of them. This means a lot to me. I didn't trust myself a few weeks ago, I thought I could never win here. I was just so down but I'm so happy right now.
"Patrick's short game was unbelievable all day. I was playing really good on the front nine and I was struggling a bit, and I was really, really nervous over the last four holes. I got to the play-off and I saw him hit it right, and I hit a good swing with my driver, a long one down the left side and a pure nine iron into the green and made the putt."
Reed looked poised for victory after holing a 100-yard third from a fairway bunker at the 15th for an unlikely eagle, and he followed it up with his fifth birdie of the day at the next.
But he missed the green at the short 17th and could not get up and down, and he was furious after leaving a birdie putt short at the last as he tapped in and threw his ball into the water. And at the first extra hole, the American bunkered his approach and was unable to match Broberg's birdie.
"I played great," Reed said after a closing 67. "Going into today I knew I had to go shoot a low number. On 17 I thought I hit a good chip and hit a perfect putt that didn't go in. Unfortunately I left the putt short on 18 and unfortunately in the play-off left the bunker shot short, which I didn't think was possible.
"Of course we're not happy and not pleased with the result. But at the end of the day, if you would have told me I would have come over and finish second, I wouldn't have teed it up this week, I would have taken it and left.
"It was a solid week and [I] just have to build on it and have to do things just a little bit better to get in the winner's circle. I think five of my last seven events I've finished inside the top 10. It's a definite improvement.
"Obviously it shows the things I'm working on are getting better because last year it seemed like I started off strong with a win but kind of was flat throughout the rest of the year. We're doing the right things. Just need to keep on plugging along and hopefully close one out here shortly."
