TORRANCE WINS FIFTH EURO SENIORS' TITLE

SAM WINS ITALIAN SENIORS OPEN BY FOUR SHOTS

Sam Torrance will fly to the United States for the first Senior Major Championship of the season in confident mood after a closing five under par 67 steered him to a four-stroke victory in the Sharp Italian Seniors Open.

The former Ryder Cup Captain finished with a three-round aggregate of 11 under par 205 at the challenging Circolo Golf Venezia course, with Ireland’s Eamonn Darcy, on seven under par, runner-up for the second year in succession.

It was Torrance’s fifth title on the European Seniors Tour and his 37^th victory as a professional.

On Thursday, Torrance will tee up at Oak Tree Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma, for the 67th US Senior PGA Championship and the Scot remains bullish about his prospects of becoming the first European winner of the event.He said: “I was entered into the BMW Championship at Wentworth, which is where I live, and I have played there for 35 years, but I chose to go the US PGA Seniors because I think I have a chance of winning that. This victory puts me in great heart for that and lays down a marker in my bid to retain the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit.”