England's Danny Willett breaks European Tour duck in Cologne to record first victory
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The pair finished level at 11 under par before the 24-year-old Willett, 204th in the world rankings, held his nerve with a par at the fourth play-off hole to earn victory after previously notching up 19 top-10 finishes.
The 24 year-old, a team-mate of Rory McIlroy in the 2007 Walker Cup, feared it was going to be his 20th without victory when he threw away a three-stroke lead. But the former world No 1 in the amateur ranks was given a reprieve when Fraser bogeyed the 456-yard final hole.
That meant a tie on 11-under par 277 after Willett’s superb three-iron escape from close to the trees and the pair had to play the 18th four more times to settle the issue.
First they parred it with Fraser holing from 12 feet, then they bogeyed it with Willett missing from four feet, before parring it again.
Fraser, twice a winner on the circuit, was favourite to land the first prize of nearly £270,000 when he was 30 feet away in two and the Yorkshireman went over the green.
However, Willett almost chipped in, then saw Fraser lip out and miss his four-footer coming back. “Amazing - it was a tough day,” said the world No 204, who on Monday will be at Sunningdale trying to qualify for the Open Championship.
“I’ve had some ups and downs in the last 18 months, but I’m injury-free now and I want to thank everybody for the support they’ve given me.”
One ahead overnight, Willett birdied the third and fourth, but the script began to change when he three-putted the ninth.
Further dropped strokes came at the 11th and 15th, the pressure mounting after he had three-putted again for par at the long 13th. With the weather at its worst, though, he managed to par the final three, whereas Fraser was in rough after his first and second shots down the last.
They were round in 71 and 73 respectively, but their work was from over in a tournament which was decided last year in a five-hole play-off before Pablo Larrazabal beat fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
Other players who will head to Sunningdale today bidding to qualify for the Open include Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
The Ryder Cup captain and his predecessor will head a 96-strong field, with 10 spots on offer."
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