NEWCASTLE, Northern Ireland — Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark won the Irish Open after a three-way playoff Sunday after his short winning putt on the first extra hole nearly lipped out before dropping.
Kjeldsen entered the final round with a two-stroke lead, but only managed a 5-over 76 and finished in a tie with Eddie Pepperell of England and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria. All had a 2-under total of 282 on the wind-swept, rain-battered Royal County Down, where just five of the 156 competitors finished the tournament under par.
The 40-year-old Kjeldsen took command of the playoff with a precision chip onto the narrow sloping green of the par-5, 525-yard 18th hole.