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SHANGHAI. — Kristoffer Broberg sank a knee-knocking downhill 12-foot birdie putt at the first playoff hole to win the BMW Masters and his first European Tour golf title in Shanghai yesterday. The Swede carded a four-under final round of 68 to finish level on 17-under par 27 with American Patrick Reed who shot a 67, forcing the pair to go head-to-head back down the 18th at Lake Malaren.

Reed found the greenside bunker with his second to the long par four while Broberg carved a nine-iron perfectly to the right of the flag and saw it run down a slope to four paces from the hole.

Although Reed splashed out close, the stage was set for the 29-year-old from Stockholm who had won previously three times on the second-tier Challenge Tour but never among the top pros. He had been faced with an almost identical putt minutes earlier on 18 to win outright but left it short.

This time he made no mistake, firmly rolling the ball down the slope and into the heart of the cup to roars from the packed galleries as he held both arms aloft in triumph. — AFP.