Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open 2006:
Axgren Emerges the Victor
It took three thrilling sudden-death play-off holes to decide the Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open 2006, after which Sweden’s Johan Axgren emerged victorious, collecting the third European Challenge Tour title of his career at the end of a wonderful final round battle with his compatriot Alexander Noren.

What a final round it was as the two Swede’s overhauled third round leader Ariel Canete of Argentina to set up that grandstand finale at the Cariari Country Club in San Jose.

The day started brightly for Canete as he immediately doubled his overnight advantage to two strokes with a birdie at the first, but that was to prove the only shaft of light in an otherwise disappointing final round of four over par 75.

While Canete was struggling to find his winning touch, Axgren was gearing up for a hugely impressive finish to his final round of four under 67. The 30 year old, went to the turn in one over par before producing a fantastic back nine effort of five under par, making crucial birdies at the tenth, 11th, 12th, 14th and 15th on what became a victorious and spectacular back nine.

With his work done, Axgren could only watch the scores of the remaining three groups out on the course. It soon became clear that his fellow countryman Noren was the only man capable of catching him after the misfortunes of Argentina’s Gustavo Acosta and Colombia’s Jesus Amaya took the South America pair out of the running.

Acosta’s double bogey at the 15th left him with too much to do over the closing three holes, while it took Amaya most of the remainder of his final round to recover from what can only be described as a disastrous quadruple bogey eight at the second hole. The two men had to settle for a share of third place with final scores of five under par 279.

Noren may have been the only man left in contention but he still had it all to do as he teed his ball up on the 18th knowing that only a birdie would be good enough to take Axgren to extra holes. With his approach landing on the fringe of the green, Noren dug deep to produce a brilliant 25 foot putt from the edge of the putting surface that was never going anywhere but the middle of the cup.

And so, with the formalities of signing and checking the scorecards out of the way, the two Swedes got ready to go head to head for the Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open – the fourth consecutive season that the tournament has been decided by sudden-death.

Axgren took the early initiative by planting his approach to the first extra hole to five feet, only for Noren to deny him by holing out from 15 feet for birdie. Axgren then went onto miss from three feet for victory at the second extra hole, but he made no mistake at the third, producing another magnificent approach to within three feet, leaving Noren powerless to prevent him taking the title and the €19,065 first prize that propelled him to second place on the latest Challenge Tour Rankings.

“What a wonderful feeling this is – this is what we compete for,” said Axgren. “I was fortunate to sink the last putt, but my wedge play is the strongest part of my game, so I was very confident about my chances.”