Mark Wiebe finally defeats Bernhard Langer for Senior Open

They battled from dawn until dusk and then dawn again before Mark Wiebe finally overcame Bernhard Langer on the fifth sudden-death play-off hole to win the Senior Open at Royal Birkdale.

After play had been halted because of darkness following two extra holes on Sunday, the tournament carried over to a fifth day.

Both seniors showed no signs of letting up when returning to the 18th for a third play-off hole at 8am.

Langer found the middle of the fairway with his drive before Wiebe responded with the same. The German missed his putt for birdie to the left of the hole as both settled for another half and another trip back up the fairway.

At the fourth attempt, Wiebe could not use Langer’s line on the green and both tapped in for bogey.

However, Wiebe took the advantage on the fifth play-off hole with an excellent birdie attempt just coming up short. The American tapped in for par, and when Langer missed left with his attempt to halve, Wiebe was crowned champion.

“I’m speechless,” said Wiebe, a two-time winner on the US PGA Tour. “Shocked, too. I just planned on Bernie making that putt on the fifth extra hole and I actually was wondering already what hole we were going to go to now. Do we go back to 18 or do I start on a new hole?

“I think it’s always better for both players had there been a birdie to win the playoff instead of a bogey, but right now, I don’t really care. I’m glad it’s over, and I’m honoured.

“I just was luckier today and last night than Bernie I guess. I also feel like Bernie has won, what, a couple hundred tournaments. He’s won so many, I feel like this was my turn.”

“I’m a little tired. That second hole last night was very dark. Mother Nature always wins and we came out this morning and here we are. I tried to play the play-off like I was playing in a normal round. I’ve never played in a play-off.”

Chasing a second senior Open after his win in 2010 at Carnoustie Langer, 55, let a two-shot lead slip at the 72nd hole with a double bogey, to allow Wiebe, who finished on -9, into the play-off.

“It was really my tournament to win or lose coming down 18 on Sunday, and I made a major error by taking on the green,” said Langer.

“It almost felt like Jean Van de Velde, if not quite. But that was certainly a bad error and shouldn’t have happened as experienced as I am. But under the battle and are under the long delay, we had two rain delays, as you know, the mind and the brain doesn’t always work 100 per cent right.

“Mark is a very deserving champion. He played a great week of golf, and we know he’s a great putter and he’s hit some really good shots this week.”

The duo were able to play two play-off holes on Sunday night and but for the lights beaming out of Birkdale’s iconic clubhouse, would never have been able to putt out and complete the hole at 9.41pm.

Langer, a two-time winner of the Masters, had been three clear of the field going into Sunday, but took two shots to get out of a bunker at the last.

Rain and lightning caused play in the final round to be suspended on two occasions.

Both men wanted to finish the tournament on Sunday for scheduling reasons but, after they each parred the 18th twice, play was halted.

On Monday morning, Langer’s approach on the fifth play-off hole landed just short of the green and, after chipping on, he missed with a par putt to keep the tournament alive.

The win in Southport is a sixth career victory for Wiebe, 55.

Wiebe claimed the senior Claret Jug, the €240,000 first prize, and a place in next year’s Open Championship at nearby Royal Liverpool, with victory.

The result was a Monday finish for the first time in The Senior Open’s 27 year history.

It was a dramatic finish to a fine week which saw record crowds flock to Birkdale, as 45,575 people passed through the gates to surpass the previous Senior Open attendance record – set at Royal Troon in 2008 – by more than 4,000.

America’s Corey Pavin, Peter Senior of Australia and South Africa’s David Frost tied for third at six under par.