of DP World Tour has officially named Marcel Siem the “Comeback King” – and rightly so. The 43-year-old underwent hip surgery in February, about a year after winning the Hero Indian Open, his first title since 2014.
He then sat out three months before returning to the Soudal Open in late May, where he missed the cut. Siem said his back made him feel old during the week, but that was a far cry from how he felt on the 18th green Sunday. The German beat Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland in a sudden-death playoff, drilling an 8-foot birdie on the 18th to claim his sixth DP World Tour victory.
“Holing that putt on the 18th hole was one of the greatest moments in golf for me, and to do it again in a playoff was amazing,” Siem said.
“I love this sport and these moments and I work so hard for them, so when it pays off like this it’s a very special moment. I think this is the second oldest trophy on the continent, so I’ve got the French Open and this trophy, I’m very proud. I feel like my journey has just begun.”
Siem appeared to be in control of the tournament after a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole, shooting a three-under 32 at the start to turn in at 13-under overall.
But Siem went off track on the second hole, bogeying the par-four 11th hole because of a terrible lie to the right of the green, then bogeyed the 14th, 16th and 17th holes to finish at 9 under par and put himself in a tough spot.
While Seam faltered late, McKibbin, who had shot a 6-under 65 earlier in the day, was waiting in the clubhouse at 10 under par. The 21-year-old from Belfast was unfazed Sunday, finishing with six birdies and no bogeys. He recorded the lowest score of the day at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia, on the Italian coast about 100 miles south of Venice. He waited three hours to find out if he’d make it to a playoff, but did well enough to win.
Meanwhile, the resilient Siem did just that on the 72nd hole, when he drilled a 22-foot birdie shot to tie McKibbin and force a playoff that he ultimately won.
The German now has two goals in mind: to play in the Ryder Cup and to play in the Masters. He has never played at Augusta National before, but if he can win one more DP World Tour event this year and surge up the rankings throughout the season, he could earn a PGA Tour card by finishing in the top 10 of the qualifying rankings in December.
Starting last year, the top 10 players in the final DP World Tour standings (those who are not exempt) are invited to play on the PGA Tour, and Mathieu Pabon has made the most of this opportunity. The Frenchman earned his PGA Tour card in December and then punched his ticket to Augusta by winning the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January.
Seem could chart a similar course, but he still has work to do: His win lifted him 95 places in the Race to Dubai rankings, but he still sits at 31st.
Still, he has already qualified for the British Open at Royal Troon, so perhaps the ‘Comeback King’ can perform well there too.
The same mantra applies to McKibbin, who won a trip to Royal Troon in the British Open qualifying series as a consolation prize. The R&A invited the top two finishers from the Italian Open (excluding those not exempt) to join the 156-field field in Scotland three weeks later. The other is Sean Cocker of the United States.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
