DES SMYTH SWOOPS TO WIN WENTWORTH
SENIORS TITLE FROM BOB CHARLES

By STEVEN FRANKLIN
Press Officer, European Seniors Tour

Des Smyth continued an excellent golfing summer for the Irish when he closed in three under par 69 to win the Wentworth Senior Masters, the flagship event on the European Seniors Tour, in front of tournament record crowds at Wentworth Club today.
Last year’s Ryder Cup Vice-Captain, who finished the 54 holes on six under par 210, captured the £37,500 first prize and the winner’s Green Jacket by two shots from former Open champion Bob Charles, the 71 year old New Zealander beating his age with a round of 70 on the final day at Wentworth Club.
Eduardo Romero, winner of the previous two editions of the Wentworth Senior Masters, saw his bid for a record-setting hat-trick derailed with a one over par 73 at the Gary Player-designed Edinburgh Course, which left the Argentine in third place on three under par 213.
“It’s great to win again, as I have struggled all year with my game. So many great players have won here before and it is very special to add my name. I lost the PGA Championship in a play-off to Rodger Davis in 1986, so this makes up for that,” said 54 year old Smyth.
REPORT ON SCOTS
BY GRAEME HAMLETT
John Chillas came away happy with his best finish of the 2007 European Seniors Tour season after he ended up in seventh place, seven shots behind Des Smyth.
“I’ve had a good tournament, and aye, I’m pleased to have my best one of the year on a course as tough as this. I was in contention for about five minutes, but that was about it. Des’s six under is a great score and he deserves to win with that score," said Aberdonian John.
Having spoken of the difficulties of playing positive shots amid the awkward breeze that blows through the Edinburgh Course, the 56 year old Chillas once more steadily plotted his way around.
Chillas moved to two under for the tournament after birdieing the second hole, going out in 36. A birdie on the 10th was given back with a dropped shot on the 11th, and a nasty double bogey 6 at the last, where he three putted, undid his round after he appeared set for an even par 216 finish.
He said: “It’s slippy down there and the first putt dived down the hill at the rate of knots. I mis-read it. Ce’st la vie. I go to Bad Ragaz in Switzerland now and I’ll hope to carry on the form I’ve shown here.”
Sam Torrance, a day after his son and caddie Daniel’s 19th birthday, was unable to give his eldest child a belated present in the form of a low-scoring round and top ten finish.
After his 79 on Saturday put the 2004 winner out of contention, he followed it up with another disappointing round by his standards, firing 77, the only highlights coming with a birdie on the 476 yard par five tenth and 515-yard par five 16th.
Wentworth resident Torrance, supported by his family as he competed on home turf, was struggling with the hand injury he has been suffering with over the past month.
Martin Gray shot 73 to finish in tied 29th place, and Bill Longmuir shot a 74 for a tied 38th finish.
FINAL TOTALS
Edinburgh Course
Par 216 (3 x 72)
210 D Smyth (Ire) 70 71 69.
212 Bob Charles (Nzl) 71 71 70.
213 Eduardo Romero (Arg) 71 69 73.
215 Carl Mason (Eng) 70 74 71, Katsuyoshi Tomori (Jap) 67 74 74.
216 Bruce Heuchan (Can) 72 70 74.
217 John Chillas (Sco) 70 73 74.
218 Noel Ratcliffe (Aus) 72 74 72, David J Russell (Eng) 68 76 74, Gordon J Brand (Eng)71 73 74, Horacio Carbonetti (Arg) 73 71 74, Eamonn Darcy (Ire) 71 72 75, John Bland (RSA) 74 69 75. 219 Delroy Cambridge (Jam) 71 77 71, Juan Quiros (Esp) 72 76 71, José Rivero (Esp) 73 75 71, Glenn Ralph (Eng) 72 71 76.
220 Luis Carbonetti (Arg) 73 76 71, Stewart Ginn (Aus) 72 74 74, Andrew Murray (Eng) 72 74 74, Neil Coles (Eng) 74 72 74, Terry Gale (Aus) 69 75 76, Bob Cameron (Eng) 69 75 76, Seiji Ebihara (Jap) 76 67 77.
221 Denis O’Sullivan (Ire) 76 73 72, Martin Poxon (Eng) 72 70 79.
222 Emilio Rodriguez (Esp) 76 75 71, David Merriman (Aus) 75 74 73.
223 Mike Clayton (Aus) 75 75 73, Ray Carrasco (USA) 74 76 73, Guiseppe Cali (Ita) 74 76 73, Martin Gray (Sco) 73 77 73, Manuel Pinero (Esp) 78 70 75, Simon Owen (Eng) 72 75 76, Guillermo Encina (Chi) 75 73 75, Tommy Horton (Eng) 77 69 77, Pete Oakley (USA) 72 70 81.
224 Jeff Hawkes (RSA) 75 77 72, Bill Longmuir (Sco) 74 76 74, Ian Mosey (Eng) 74 75 75, Jim Rhodes (Eng) 71 78 75.
225 Jimmy Heggarty (Nir) 74 78 73, Gery Watine (Fra) 70 81 74, Bertus Smit (RSA) 73 78 74, Tony Johnstone (Zim) 75 76 74, Nick Job (Eng) 74 73 78.
226 David Good (Aus) 74 78 74, Kevin Spurgeon (Eng) 73 78 75, Sam Torrance (Sco) 70 79 77.
227 Steve Martin (Sco) 75 81 71, Bobby Lincoln (RSA) 81 75 71, Jerry Bruner (USA) 73 81 73, Bill McColl (Sco) 81 73 73, Jim Lapsley (Nzl) 73 78 76, Doug Johnson (USA) 81 70 76, John Mashego (RSA) 71 79 77.
228 Tony Allen (Eng) 76 76 76.
229 Ian Palmer (RSA) 76 76 77, Maurice Bembridge (Eng) 79 79 71.
231 Mike Miller (Sco) 79 73 79, Costantino Rocca (Ita) 76 76 79, Peter Teravainen (USA) 77 76 78, Gavan Levenson (RSA) 77 77 77.
232 Adan Sowa (Arg) 75 77 70, David Creamer (Eng) 75 78 79, Jeff Hall (Eng) 76 73 83.
233 Mike Ferguson (Aus) 74 78 81.
234 Philippe Dugeny (Fra) 75 79 80.
235 Eddie Polland (Nir) 79 76 80.
237 Greg Hopkins (USA) 77 81 79238 Tony Charnley (Eng) 82 78 78.
240 Antonio Garrido (Esp) 78 81 81.
242 Denis Durnian (Eng) 80 79 83