Ferrie walks tall after play-off success

Northumberland's Kenneth Ferrie kept his nerve to win his first European tour title here yesterday. The 24-year-old from Ashington won the Canaries Spanish Open with a birdie at the second hole of a play-off against the Dubliner Peter Lawrie and the Swede Peter Hedblom.

Ferrie, 6ft 4in, had earlier recorded birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th holes in superb fashion to draw level.

Rookie Lawrie had set the target of 22 under par with a four-foot eagle putt on the last for a 66 and Hedblom, needing to birdie the 542-yard closing hole to reach 23 under, three-putted for only a par and a 67.

Ferrie, British boys champion seven years ago, also failed to make the four he required for the £201,731 first prize – more than he earned in his first three seasons on the circuit – but after signing for a 69 the play-off gave him a chance to make amends and he grabbed it.

After all three had hit birdies the same hole at the start of sudden death they returned to the 18th again and this time Ferrie was the only one to make a four, Lawrie three-putting from just over the green and Hedblom going right and making a mess of his chip.

Ferrie had fired in his approach to 10 feet and two putts proved good enough. "I had a couple of rocky patches, but then everything came together." he said.

"I had a heart-to-heart with my coach [John Harrison] at the start of last year. I was not happy being a run-of-the-mill player, especially not seeing Sergio Garcia playing in Ryder Cups and Justin Rose doing all sorts of things too.

"I consider myself as good as them and I wanted to do myself justice."

The 17-year-old Spanish amateur Pablo Martin, who sensationally was part of a six-way tie for the lead after a third-round 64, led outright briefly, but a triple bogey at the 459-yard fourth effectively ended his hopes.