Mario Galiano birdied the first playoff hole against Esteban Vázquez after tying at -10 to win his Madeira debut. It's his third victory of the season on the III TUMI Spain Golf Tour, at Seve's third course, and further extends his lead in the José María Olazábal Order of Merit.

The professional from La Cañada, Cádiz, withstood challenges from Portugal's Pedro Lencart, the undisputed leader after the first nine holes, and Esteban Vázquez, who was mounting a comeback after a 74 in the second round. The tournament was decided on the first playoff hole, and Galiano won his third tournament of the season on the III TUMI Spain Golf Tour. This inaugural Porto Santo Iberian Open, jointly organized by the PGA of Portugal and Spain, was played at the Golfe Porto Santo course in Madeira, designed by Seve Ballesteros, with Vila Baleira as the main sponsor.

The tournament, born under a lucky star, was a resounding success thanks to the PGA of Spain and Portugal, and was held in Madeira on a course designed by Seve Ballesteros—the third to be played on the Tour this year, along with Izki and Meaztegi. The suspense lasted until the very last putt, when Mario Galiano sank two consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to tie with Esteban Vázquez and force a playoff at -10.

It was the perfect ending to three days of competition, a tough test for the players who battled the wind on a course with breathtaking cliffside views. Spanish golfer Mariano Galiano seems to have a special affinity for courses designed by Seve Ballesteros, having won on all three courses featured in the III TUMI Spain Golf Tour this season. He won, alongside Asier Aguirre, the XXII PGA Doubles Championship held at Izki Golf; and last June he set a record by winning the V Bizkaia PGAe Open at Meaztegi for the second year running, another course designed by the Cantabrian maestro and considered the "Grand" of the national circuit due to its substantial prize money.

“The first few holes were more difficult for me in this final round because of the wind blowing against my game from left to right, where I tend to make more mistakes; but I managed to handle them well. It’s a very competitive course and you have to be very alert. Winning is always wonderful, and since it’s my first time in Portugal and playing this course, it’s something very special,” commented Mario Galiano.

“On the 18th hole, when I needed a birdie to tie with Esteban, a lot of things went through my head. I'm first in the national ranking, in the José María Olazábal Order of Merit; Emilio Cuartero is right behind me, and I thought that by hitting an iron tee shot I'd make it 5 strokes and could maintain second place. It was a good decision, and I forced a playoff. Back on the 18th, we both knew we were going for the drive, trying to hit it as straight as possible to leave ourselves a shorter second shot. I nailed my second shot; Esteban left himself a bit of a tricky approach, and he didn't get the birdie, but I did because my ball was right there for eagle. It sounds easy when you describe it like that, but it's a difficult hole.”.

Of the six tournaments played so far on the III TUMI Spain Golf Tour, Galiano has won three, and it seems the national circuit is a bit too easy for him. “There are very good players on the circuit and a high level of competition, as we've seen this week. And all of us who are competing enjoy playing on the PGA Tour; we all want it to continue growing and become a major circuit in the future. With all the benefits it offers, such as invitations to the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour) and the great courses played on, everything is growing, and I think we all have to do our part to ensure that it continues to grow, lasts a long time, and works well,” added the champion.

The day began with Portugal's Pedro Lencart (3rd), teeing off in the second group alongside Esteban Vázquez and Mario Galiano, dominating the tournament through the first nine holes and establishing a two-stroke lead over second place. Asier Aguirre, who carded the best round of the week with a 65 on the opening day, gradually fell behind with three bogeys on the front nine. Similarly, Víctor Broto (5th) and Rubén la Fuente (4th), who teed off in the last group, also began to lose ground.

Galiano held up well in those first holes and from the 11th onwards came the birdie festival: five, with those two final successes that took him to the tiebreaker with Vázquez, who was the only one of the Top 5 who delivered a clean card of bogeys (66), although he could not handle the pressure on the decisive hole.

Emilio Cuartero finished in sixth position alone, and added points to stay in the José María Olazábal Order of Merit race which this year has a special prize: the winner will have seven invitations for the European development circuit HotelPlanner Tour (formerly Challenge).

SOURCE: PGA of Spain