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ST. JAMES, Barbados -- Bernhard Langer acknowledges that Germany's first
World Golf Championships-Barbados World Cup victory in 1990 was a
surprise to many, himself included.
So was this one.
Trailing by five strokes entering the day, Langer and Marcel Siem shot a
5-under 66 in Sunday's alternate-shot format to grab a share of the
lead, then made par on the first playoff hole to beat Scotland and claim
Germany's second World Cup title.
Langer finished it out with a short putt -- moments after Scotland's
Colin Montgomerie pushed his par try from about 4 feet wide of the hole.
Sweden (72) finished third after finishing 15 under and missing the
playoff when Carl Petterson's tricky downhill par putt from 5 feet
lipped out at the final hole. South Africa (68) was fourth at 14 under,
while Spain (69), Argentina (73) and the United States (69) all tied for
fifth at 13 under.
The U.S. team of Stewart Cink and J.J. Henry ended their day with 11
straight pars, never really making a big run at the leaders.
"We had a great week," Cink said. "At least we know we could have won."
Defending champion Wales was in a four-way tie for eighth at 11 under
with Australia, Mexico and Italy in the 24-nation field.
Germany had six birdies and one bogey on a soggy, windy day at Sandy
Lane, where play was interrupted early for nearly two hours by morning
rain. The Germans -- who split a $1.4 million first prize -- were three
strokes off the lead during that break, yet found a way to pass six
teams over their final 12 holes.
Montgomerie, the eight-time Ryder Cup player who helped Europe to a
dominating win this year at The K Club, teamed with Marc Warren to shoot
a 2-under 69 in the final round, which was played in the alternate-shot
format.
Scotland, which has never won the World Cup -- and now has four
second-place finishes -- made only one bogey all day, and that was the
one in the playoff. Montgomerie pushed his tee shot at the par-3 18th
left of the green, then missed the short putt after Warren played a chip
to relatively close range.
"It's just one of those things," Warren said. "Tough putt. ... We needed
to leave ourselves an easier putt. That's just the way it goes."
Montgomerie declined to speak with reporters afterward.
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