Sep 12, 2016: Home hero Joost Luiten fired a brilliant course-record equalling 63 to make history and win his second KLM Open at The Dutch.
Enormous galleries had been following the 30 year old all week in Spijk, and he gave them the result they so desperately craved with a scintillating display of iron play and long-range putting to hold off the challenge of Bernd Wiesberger.
The pair went blow for blow for large parts of Sunday afternoon but three birdies in his final five holes helped Luiten to a 19 under total and a three-shot victory over the Austrian.
The triumph makes Luiten the first Dutch player to win his national Open twice since it joined the European Tour in 1972 – following his win in 2013 – and makes him a five-time winner on Tour.
It is his first win for almost two years and reward for a brilliantly consistent 2016 so far that saw him come into the week with eight top tens including two runner-up finishes and represent his country at the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition.
South Korea’s Byeong-hun An was then third at 13 under after matching Austria’s Wiesberger with a 65, a shot ahead of Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares, English duo Ben Evans and David Horsey and Australia’s Scott Hend.
But the day belonged to Luiten who channelled the pressure of carrying the hopes of a nation into one of the most remarkable final round performances of the season as he made a total of ten birdies to conquer all of his challengers and delight his adoring home crowd.
