VALENCIA, Spain, April 21, 2013 (AFP) - Both men finished alongside Felipe Aguilar on five under par for the tournament, but the Chilean was eliminated at the third playoff hole when a wonderful second shot from Jacquelin set up an easy birdie putt and Kieffer amazingly putted in from off the green to match the Frenchman's three.
The next five holes were then pared by both men before another sumptuous second from Jacquelin on their ninth trip up the 18th left him with a putt from less than 10 feet which he rolled in to seal it with a birdie.
The final day of the event at the Parador de El Saler course had already been laced with drama before the playoff even began as overnight leader Marc Warren bogeyed four of the last five holes to miss out on his third European Tour title.
Warren had led by two strokes after Saturday's third round and had an even more commanding lead when playing partner Craig Lee bogeyed the first five holes.
Dropped shots at the sixth, 14th and 15th brought Warren back into the leading group, though, before he chipped in at the 16th to move a shot clear once more.
However, back-to-back bogeys followed to leave the 32-year-old back alongside Magnus Carlsson, David Horsey and Paul Waring at four under.
That left the path clear for Jacquelin and Kieffer to play out a memorable extra nine holes, matching the previous European Tour record scenario which saw Jose Maria Olazabal overcome Ronan Rafferty at the KLM Dutch Open back in 1989.
After both made birdies at the third playoff hole, it was Jacquelin's more precise iron shots that were consistently giving the Frenchman better looks at the hole and he finally rolled one in at the ninth time of asking to claim his fourth career victory on the European Tour.
Leading fourth round scores in the European Tour's Spanish Open on Saturday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):
283 - Felipe Aguilar (CHI) 68-71-74-70, Raphael Jacquelin (FRA) 73-66-73-71, Maximilian Kieffer (GER) 75-68-69-71
* Jacquelin won at the ninth play-off hole
284 - Marc Warren 70-70-68-76, Magnus Carlsson (SWE) 70-75-68-71, David Horsey 71-74-68-73, Paul Waring 71-71-69-73
285 - Matteo Delpodio (ITA) 73-69-73-70, Eddie Pepperell 70-70-73-72, Espen Kofstad (NOR) 71-72-70-72, Peter Uihlein (USA) 70-68-74-73
286 - Andrew Marshall 72-74-70-70, Lasse Jensen (Den) 71-70-74-71, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 72-73-70-71, Nacho Elvira (ESP) 71-72-71-72
287 - Gareth Maybin 74-71-75-67, Matteo Manassero (ITA) 78-68-72-69, Peter Lawrie 71-74-72-70, Paul Casey 72-70-72-73, Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 74-72-68-73