Van Phillips secured his first Legends Tour title by outlasting Adilson da Silva and Phillip Archer in a dramatic play-off at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany.
The thrilling afternoon concluded with Phillips sealing the victory with an exceptional approach to 18 inches, denying Da Silva his third win of the season and leaving Archer as the runner-up for the third consecutive year.
Archer had been the favorite for most of the final round, holding a two-shot lead over Phillips with six holes remaining after reaching -7 through 12 holes.
Meanwhile, Da Silva, who started the day five shots behind the leader, made a remarkable climb up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 64. He ended at -12, but it seemed one shot short until the drama unfolded.
As Archer faltered with three late bogeys, including one on the final hole, and Phillips bogeyed the 15th, the three players headed into a sudden death play-off.
After several pars, Phillips clinched the victory with a birdie on the fourth play-off hole, thanks to a superb wedge shot that ended just 18 inches from the hole.
“It’s amazing,” said the 52-year-old champion. “It’s been really tough the last couple of years – just grinding away with injuries. It’s just amazing to win and validate all the hard work. It’s fantastic.
“I’ve been working on staying really calm and staying in the moment. I felt like I achieved that all the way around until the 18th. And then I just hit a terrible putt from four feet. I haven’t been in this position for a long time – I was just nervous.”
Phillips expressed his relief after executing the winning shot: “I was praying it was a kick-in, because I just couldn’t face another four-foot putt. Seventy-five yards is a great yardage for me. Just a three-quarter swing. So yeah, I just executed it. Perfect.”
To watch the final round highlights from the WINSTONgolf Senior Open, click here.
