Golf - European Tour - Irish Open - Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ballyliffin, Ireland - July 8, 2018 Scotland's Russell Knox celebrates after his putt on the 18th green forces the match to go into a tie breaker with New Zealand's Ryan Fox during the fourth round of the Irish Open Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
BALLYLIFFIN, Ireland (Reuters) - Scotland's Russell Knox sank a 40-foot putt to beat Ryan Fox of New Zealand on the first playoff hole and win the Irish Open at Ballyliffin on Sunday.
It was Knox's second European Tour title and all the more surprising given he began the day six off the lead. But he hit a final-round 66 and Fox a 68 to reach 14 under par, one ahead of Spain's Jorge Campillo.
South Africa's Eric van Rooyen blew his four-shot overnight lead with a 74 for 12 under par, level with defending champion Jon Rahm, who overcame a triple bogey at the second to post an impressive 66.
Golf - European Tour - Irish Open - Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ballyliffin, Ireland - July 8, 2018 Scotland's Russell Knox celebrates after winning the 2018 Irish Open Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
Knox secured his playoff place by holing another huge putt at the 18th in his regulation round, with Fox missing a 10-foot putt that would have given him the title.
The pair played the same hole again, with Knox holing from an almost identical position while Fox missed his birdie chance from about 12 feet.
But there was consolation for Fox in claiming one of the remaining slots for the British Open at Carnoustie later this month.
Golf - European Tour - Irish Open - Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ballyliffin, Ireland - July 8, 2018 New Zealand's Ryan Fox misses his putt on the 18th green forcing the match to go into a tie break with Scotland's Russell Knox during the fourth round of the Irish Open Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
Englishman Andy Sullivan and South African Zander Lombard finished joint sixth to claim Open places.
Tournament host and former world number one Rory McIlroy finished joint 28th on one-under-par with a final-day 71.
Golf - European Tour - Irish Open - Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ballyliffin, Ireland - July 8, 2018 Scotland's Russell Knox celebrates with the trophy after winning the 2018 Irish Open Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
(Reporting by Neil Robinson, editing by Ed Osmond)
Golf - European Tour - Irish Open - Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ballyliffin, Ireland - July 8, 2018 New Zealand's Ryan Fox misses his putt on the 18th green forcing the match to go into a tie break with Scotland's Russell Knox during the fourth round of the Irish Open Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
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