Daily Times

AMSTERDAM: Spain’s Sergio Garcia shot a final-round three-under par 69 and finished at 18-under overall to win the 100th edition of the KLM Open in Amsterdam by a single stroke on Sunday. The win was Garcia’s 16th on the European Tour and the 2017 Masters champion’s first title in the Netherlands, which he happily celebrated with his one-year-old daughter Azalea on the green at the 18th hole. Danish 18-year-old Nicolai Hojgaard, who was two strokes behind the Spaniard after the third round, nearly tied for the lead but missed an eagle putt on the 18th and finished with a birdie to sign for a four-under 68 and second place. A cautious Garcia, who bogeyed the 17th, played it safe on the par-five 18th, sinking a one-foot putt to clinch the title. “Great week, amazing,” Garcia said. “We had a great week and it’s great to win again. It was nice I only needed a five on the last.” Garcia’s final round was far from ideal. He sank seven birdies — including four on the front nine — but they were offset by four bogeys. However, he successfully held a 54-hole lead for the ninth time in his European Tour career as others struggled.