Singh takes play-off victory
Indian Jeev Milkha Singh was the unlikely winner of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in Inverness on Sunday after home hope Marc Warren blew a three-shot lead over the closing stretch.
Singh, who also qualifies for The Open, beat Italian Francesco Molinari - brother of 2010 champion Edoardo - with a 12-foot birdie putt at the first hole of a play-off, leaving a stunned Warren joint third with Swede Alex Noren one shot back.
The 31-year-old Glaswegian double-bogeyed the 15th, then bogeyed the next two for a one-under-par 71.
Singh had set an early target of 17 under with a 67 and overnight leader Molinari then forced sudden death by holing a nine-foot par putt on the last for a 72.
Singh was assured of the Open spot going into sudden death because Molinari was already exempt for Royal Lytham. It will be only his second appearance in the event. He missed the cut at Carnoustie five years ago.
He birdied four of the first six holes, then added another on the 363-yard 10th and parred in.
It looked like three-putting the 337-yard 16th after driving the green and leaving a 14-foot attempt on the last short of the hole would cost him.
But then came Warren's collapse.
Molinari finished runner-up for the second week running. Victory would have taken him from 10th to second in the Ryder Cup standings. He is still looking good for a second successive cap, though. He is up to fourth.
World number one and defending champion Luke Donald stays sixth on the points table after finishing 16th with, among others, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and Martin Laird.
