Siem quickly atones for missed cut in Shanghai

Siem missed from six feet on the 72nd hole with the chance to win in regulation, but made amends by chipping in for a birdie when the players returned to the 18th for the first hole of sudden death.

Ross Fisher and Alexander Levy both had birdie chances to keep their hopes alive but were unable to convert, leaving Siem to cancel a planned holiday in Thailand to take up his place in the HSBC Champions event across the city on Thursday.

Levy had looked on course for his third win of the season at Lake Malaren, rounds of 65, 66 and 63 giving the 24-year-old Frenchman a four-shot lead and taking him to a collective 40 under par for his last five strokeplay rounds following his recent win in the Portugal Masters.

However, with a strong wind making scoring conditions difficult, Levy could only manage a closing 78 to finish alongside playing partner Siem, who shot 73, and England’s Fisher.

Fisher had set the clubhouse target after a superb 67 – wiping out an 11-shot deficit to Levy that would have set a European Tour record if he had gone on to win – and then saw Levy and Siem both bogey the 18th.

The third member of the final group, Ryder Cup star Jamie Donaldson, had a birdie chance on the last to get into the play-off but left it inches short, while Gleneagles team-mate Justin Rose also finished 15 under after a bogey on the same hole in a closing round of 72.

“The golf course was the total opposite to the first three days,” said Siem. “The course was a real monster and I still can’t believe it. I’m over the moon.”

Sheffield’s Danny Willett, finished seven shots off the leading trio after following up an impressive 67 on Saturday with a final round of 71.

American Ryan Moore successfully defended his CIMB Classic title in Malaysia yesterday, as compatriot Gary Woodland again had to settle for second place.

Moore carded a closing 67 to finish 17 under par, three shots ahead of Woodland, Kevin Na and Spain’s Sergio Garcia.

Lee Westwood, who won the Malaysian Open on the same course in April, eventually finished in a tie for 13th after a closing round of 68.