Emotional Armitage wins European Open title in Hamburg

England’s Marcus Armitage admitted he had to fight back tears after winning the European Open title in Hamburg on Monday.

The 33-year-old claimed the first European Tour title of his career by carding six birdies and an eagle during his sensational final round.

He finished at eight under par and two strokes clear of the field.

“I’m an emotional guy, I’m struggling to keep a lid on it here. I was just trying to breathe and be calm, not touch my phone because that will be going berserk,” he said.

Armitage lost his mother to cancer as a teenager and was clearly emotional after his win.

“20 years ago I lost my mum and I’ve dreamt about this since that day, being a winner, and you have days where you think it might not happen but I just stuck at it,” he said.

After starting the final round four shots adrift of previous leaders Matthew Southgate and Maverick Antcliff, Armitage swiftly made up ground with two birdies in his first three holes.

His approach to the seventh then span back into the cup for eagle and he almost repeated the trick on the ninth to leave a tap-in birdie.

His victory moves Armitage into the top 30 of the European Tour and earns him a place at the men’s US Open from June 17-20.

A closing bogey by Southgate left him to share second on six under with Italy’s Edoardo Molinari, Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Dutchman Darius Van Driel.

The European Open was cut to 54 holes and moved to run from Saturday to Monday because of Covid-19 hygiene restrictions in Germany.

The switch was to help players and staff, who were at last week’s event in Denmark, avoid quarantine after the German government tightened travel restrictions from the United Kingdom.