Forsyth defeats Otto to win Madeira Islands Open

By Norman Dabell

SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira (Reuters) - Britain's Alastair Forsyth surged from five strokes behind Hennie Otto to capture the Madeira Islands Open title on Sunday after a sudden-death playoff.

Forsyth's birdie at the first extra hole earned the Scot his second European Tour victory and his second playoff success.

Both players had finished on 15-under-par 273, Forsyth with a five-under 67 and South African Otto a 72.

It was also his second playoff victory against Otto. In 1996, when they were both amateurs, Forsyth beat the South African in the Scottish strokeplay championship.

"I felt I was a wee bit one-up on him already when we set out," Forsyth told a news conference. "But I bet he was thinking he would get one back on me. I knew I was going to need a birdie to win, though."

England's Gary Clark finished third, four strokes off the pace.

Otto, leader after the second and third round, began the final round promisingly with two early birdies but his round started to unravel from the fifth and by the 12th his playing partner Forsyth had caught and passed him.

Forsyth showed fragility, too, however, when his three-putt bogey on the 71st hole drew him and Otto back together. Both players birdied the 18th then to throw the outcome into sudden-death.