Fraser falls agonisingly short

ENGLAND'S Danny Willett has beaten Australia's Marcus Fraser on the fourth hole of a playoff on the European Tour.

Marcus Fraser

ENGLAND'S Danny Willett has beaten Australia's Marcus Fraser on the fourth hole of a playoff.

Willett claimed his first European Tour title at the rain-lashed BMW International Open.

The overnight leader, Willett had been three clear after eight holes of the final round, but saw his lead cut after bogeys at the ninth, 11th and 15th.

He finished on 11-under for the tournament and tied with Fraser at the end of the final round on the Gut Larcenhof course in Cologne.

But the 24-year-old held his nerve in his 106th tour start on the fourth hole of the sudden-death playoff when he tapped in for a par after Fraser had three-putted for bogey.

Finishing the final round one shot behind in joint third were Ireland's Paul McGinley, Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and England's Chris Wood.

Willett feared it was going to be his 20th top-10 finish without victory when he threw away a handy lead midway through his round.

But the former world No.1 in the amateur ranks was given a reprieve when Fraser bogeyed the 18th.

That meant he finished level with Fraser after Willett's superb three-iron escape from close to the trees and the pair had to play the 18th four more times to settle the issue.

First they parred it with Fraser holing from four metres, then they bogeyed it with Willett missing from 1.5m, then they parred it again.

Fraser, twice a winner on the European tour, was favourite to land the title when he was 10m away in two shots and the Yorkshireman went over the green.

But Willett almost chipped in, then saw Fraser lip out and miss his short putt coming back.

The world No.204 and Fraser will now turn their attention to trying to qualify for the British Open.