Sun Apr 6 14:10:19 2008

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Bourdy survives playoff for win

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Estoril, Portugal (Sports Network) - Gregory Bourdy parred the third playoff hole Sunday to defeat David Howell and Alastair Forsyth and win the Open de Portugal.

With Forsyth knocked out on the second playoff hole, Howell found the fairway at the 17th, the third extra hole, but Bourdy bounced in the left rough. Bourdy was able to reach the short grass, but Howell pulled his second left.

Howell chipped to 12 feet, while Bourdy lagged his birdie effort to three feet. Howell's par putt turned left near the cup, opening the door for Bourdy.

He sank the three-footer for his second European Tour win. Bourdy captured the Mallorca Classic last year.

Howell fired a seven-under 64, while Forsyth posted a five-under 66. Bourdy, who held a four-shot lead overnight, only managed a one-under 70. The trio finished regulation at 18-under-par 266.

On the first extra hole, the par-four 18th, all three players found the fairway. Forsyth and Howell played left of the target, but on the putting surface. Bourdy was just short of the green.

Howell almost made his long birdie effort, but tapped in for par. Bourdy also nearly holed his birdie try from in front of the green, but settled for a four. Forsyth's chance for the win came up short, so it was back to the 18th tee.

Forsyth drove well left and had to take a drop. Bourdy and Howell both found the short grass, but Bourdy came up short again. Howell hit 30 feet left of the stick.

Forsyth did not even reach the green with his third shot and chipped to four feet. Bourdy chipped to 10 feet and Howell lagged his birdie try for the win to tap-in range. His par eliminated Forsyth, but Bourdy drained the tough par putt to move to the 17th with Howell.

Then Bourdy made it two Frenchmen in a row to win on the European Tour. Last week, Thomas Levet won a playoff for the Open de Andalucia title. This marked the fifth consecutive playoff in Europe.

During regulation, several players made their way to the top of the leaderboard.

Howell two-putted for birdie at the par-five 16th, then sank a 15-footer for birdie at 17 to get to 18-under par. His second at the last took a fortunate bounce of a stake and stayed in play. The Englishman chipped to two feet to become the first in at minus-18.

Forsyth did the best just to get into the extra session. He birdied the 17th to get within one and hit his approach to 28 feet at the closing hole. Forsyth's birdie putt ran past the hole, but fell in behind the cup to post his 18-under score.

Bourdy, who overcame a three-over front nine, birdied his first two on the second nine. He birdied the par-five 13th to tie for the lead at 17-under par, and his 12-foot birdie putt at 16 got him to minus-18.

At the 72nd hole, Bourdy had 25 feet for the outright win and left it almost six feet short. He needed the putt to make the playoff and converted, setting up the three-man extra session, which he ultimately won.

Miles Tunnicliff came up one shot short of the playoff thanks to a final- round, five-under 66. He took fourth at minus-17, one shot better than Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who also shot a 66 on Sunday.

Paul McGinley (67) and Charl Schwartzel (70) shared seventh at 13-under 271.

Peter Baker (67), Johan Edfors (67), Simon Khan (68), Jose Manuel Lara (68), Andrew McLardy (66) and Steve Webster (69) tied for ninth place at 12-under 272.

Pablo Martin, who won last year as an amateur, posted a one-under 70 and tied for 15th place at minus-11.