Marcel Siem breaks through at Alfred Dunhill
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2004 dunhill Championship | Wrap | 26 Jan 2004
Marcel Siem, the 23-year-old from Dusseldorf, secured his maiden win on the European Tour when he took out the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg in a gripping playoff against Frenchmen Raphael Jacquelin and Gregory Harvet.
Siem, who is now in his third full season on the European Tour, had a previous best finish of fifth at the Scottish PGA Championship in 2002 behind runaway winner Adam Scott and his 61st placing last week at the South African Airways Open hardly suggested that this performance was in store.
He was out of the blocks early however, with an opening 65 and although headed by Jacquelin in round two, Soren Hansen, Jacquelin and Havret in round three, he was always within striking distance. A flying start to round four had him four under through five and he did not put a foot wrong over the closing stages.
In the playoff he twice had chances to end it with mid-range eagle putts but he finally go the job done with a birdie at the third attempt to edge out Jacquelin, with Havret having exited the contest at the second hole of the playoff.
Siem won his rights to play the European Tour initially via the Q school in 2001 then again through the same process in 2002. By finishing 95th in 2003 on the European Tour money list he secured his playing privileges for 2004 and the ’rest as they say is history.’
He now moves to second on the 2004 European Tour money list after three events and importantly gains access to this coming week’s Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand. Jacquelin had closed strongly with three birdies in the final three holes to make the playoff with Siem who had finished a few minutes earlier with Havret also birdying the last to join the fray. The highlight of Havret’s final round no doubt was the brilliant eagle two he made at the par four 414 yard par four second, although he would follow that with a bogey at the very next hole.
Jarrod Moseley, playing in South African European Tour events for the first time this year was sixth and the leading Australasian. Wade Ormsby was 43rd and Stephen Scahill 66th.
