Pablo Larrazabal was near tears in dedicating his BMW International Open success to the memory of his grandfather, Manuel who passed away last week.
The Spaniard captured only his second Race to Dubai success at the fifth extra hole of a play-off between he and countryman Sergio Garcia.
Larrazabal and Garcia ended play with final round 68s for 16-under par totals.
The duo then returned to the 18th on two separate occasions to birdie the hole and then after both pared the 12th and 17th, it was back to the 18th for a fifth.
Pablo Larrazabal all smiles after being handed BMW International Open trophy. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Larrazabal then birdied the hole while Garcia missed his chance to send the match to a sixth play off hole.
The recently-turned 27 year old Larrazabal then revealed the hurt of losing ‘the Captain of his family’ Manuel who died last week at age 88.
“Sergio was one of my heroes growing up and beating him is just a dream,” he said.
“But I am very much emotional because last week my grand dad, Manuel and the captain of our family, died last week.
“So there are so many emotions now and all of the work I did this week is for him. He was the one who of the cousins, all of us, who we would follow all of the time.
“He was the one, and I couldn’t practice too much last week, being so many hours at the hospital and trying to help my grandmother and my mother.
“So it’s been a very, very tough moment for all the family.”
Both he and Garcia earned a place into next month’s Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in finishing top-two off a mini money list that ended in Munich.
And while Garcia is delighted to be competing in his favourite Major, Larrazbal was just as pleased as he had lost a six-hole play-off recently at the Open Championship Sunningdale qualifier.
“I came here to Munchen trying to get into The Open, and that was my main goal”, he said.
“I had lost my chance to get into The Open playing 42 holes at Sunningdale, and losing to George Coetzee.
“So I wanted to play The Open so much as I think my game is great for The Open, as I just love Royal St. George’s.
“So today was one of my last chances to play in The Open, and I did it.”
While it will be Garcia’s 49th straight appearance in a Major, Larrazabal heads to Kent having played The Open just twice before in 2008 (70th) and 2009 (missed cut).
