CARL MASON SETS EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR MONEY
RECORD WITH PLAY-OFF WIN OVER ROCCA
By Graeme Hamlett
European Tour Press Officer
England’s Carl Mason retained the European Senior Masters at Woburn Golf Club with a brilliant birdie at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off against Italy’s Costantino Rocca to become the richest golfer in European Seniors Tour history.
After the duo had tied on a 54 hole total of six under par 210, Mason edged his tense final day battle with playing partner and title rival Rocca with his dramatic birdie, secured after a superb 121-yard wedge to two feet on the 18th hole being replayed.
When Rocca’s own 18 feet birdie effort lipped out, Mason calmly tapped in to seal the 17th win of his Seniors Tour career. The top prize of €49,713 (£33,750) took Mason’s career earnings to €1,521,836 (£1,033,321) and he surpassed the previous record holder, fellow countryman Tommy Horton, as the leading European Seniors Tour money winner of all time.
Mason said: “It is an achievement I am proud of, but I’m glad it’s out of the way now, as everyone has been telling me about it and asking about it this week. It was a little bit more pressure on an already demanding week, as the defending champion, so I’m even more delighted to have won and retained my title. It’s always a little more difficult when you’re defending.”
Mason, who shot a final round of one over par 73 to Rocca’s level par 72, needed to hole a monster 35 feet birdie across the full width of the green on the 18th hole to set-up the play-off, having wobbled on the back nine and dropped three shots.
He said: “I really thought my chance had gone when I bogeyed 14, 15 and 16, but my first birdie on 18 proves that you must never give up. I have to admit I was very relieved to see it drop.”
A disappointed Rocca who, with a two shot lead heading down the 18th hole, bogeyed the last after failing to get up and down from the near greenside bunker, reflected on his play-off defeat: “Sometimes you have to say you are unlucky; sometimes you have to say he was a little bit better. Today, I say both.”
England’s Bob Cameron was third after closing with a 68 for a five under par 211 total, while Zimbabwe’s Tony Johnstone shot 69 to finish fourth on three under par 213. Scotland’s Sam Torrance shot a 68 to finish one shot further back on two under par 214 in a tie for fifth place.
FINAL TOTALS
210 C Mason (Eng) 71 66 73; C Rocca (Ita) 69 69 72 – Mason wins with sudden-death birdie on the first hole of play-off.
211 B Cameron (Eng) 73 70 68
213 T Johnstone (Zim) 75 69 69
214 S Torrance (Sco) 75 71 68; S Owen (Nzl) 72 71 71; J Rivero (Spn) 74 68 72; G Encina (Chl) 72 68 74
215 M James (Eng) 76 65 74
216 G Watine (Fra) 73 70 73
217 D Johnson (USA) 75 71 71; P Oakley (USA) 72 70 75
218 M Gray (Sco) 78 72 68; L Carbonetti (Arg) 76 71 71; D O’Sullivan (Irl) 74 71 73; D Good (Aus) 70 74 74; A Fernandez (Chl) 73 69 76
219 J Bland (RSA) 75 75 70; A Sowa (Arg) 70 76 73; M Pinero (Spn) 70 75 74; E Rodriguez (Spn) 71 73 75; S Ginn (Aus) 75 68 76
220 S Martin (Sco) 75 73 72; H Carbonetti (Arg) 75 73 72; T Allen (Eng) 76 72 72; A Murray (Eng) 72 75 73; M Foster (Eng) 71 74 75
221 J Lapsley (Nzl) 74 76 71; GJ Brand (Eng) 73 75 73; N Job (Eng) 76 72 73; J Quiros (Spn) 71 74 76; G Cali (Ita) 71 73 77
222 J Chillas (Sco) 70 78 74; P Teravainen (USA) 75 73 74; B Lincoln (RSA) 75 71 76; P Dugeny (Fra) 71 70 81
223 B Malley (USA) 74 76 73; J Bruner (USA) 77 73 73; M Miller (Sco) 75 74 74; DJ Russell (Eng) 77 72 74; G Ralph (Eng) 78 70 75
224 D Merriman (Aus) 75 74 75; I Mosey (Eng) 73 74 77; N Ratcliffe (Aus) 76 76 73; M Bembridge (Eng) 76 76 73; M Poxon (Eng) 72 77 76; D Cambridge (Jam) 73 76 76; T Gale (Aus) 74 74 77
227 JM Canizares (Spn) 82 71 74; J Benda (USA) 83 69 75; M Ferguson (Aus) 81 69 77; J Heggarty (Nir) 77 72 78; J Rhodes (Eng) 76 72 79
228 D Durnian (Eng) 79 75 74; B Larratt (Eng) 75 78 75; T Horton (Eng) 76 77 75; R Drummond (Sco) 79 72 77; J Mashego (RSA) 76 79 74; B Longmuir (Sco) 74 80 75; T Rastall (Eng) 75 77 77
230 P Leonard (Nir) 79 78 73; B Heuchan (Can) 75 76 79
231 A Garrido (Spn) 77 79 75; K Spurgeon (Eng) 77 78 76
232 I Palmer (RSA) 79 74 79; B Lendzion (USA) 75 76 81
233 B Smit (RSA) 84 76 73; N Coles (Eng) 81 75 77
236 V Garcia (Spn) 81 78 78
239 D Creamer (Eng) 81 76 82
242 T Charnley (Eng) 82 84 76
RECORD WITH PLAY-OFF WIN OVER ROCCA
By Graeme Hamlett
European Tour Press Officer
England’s Carl Mason retained the European Senior Masters at Woburn Golf Club with a brilliant birdie at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off against Italy’s Costantino Rocca to become the richest golfer in European Seniors Tour history.
After the duo had tied on a 54 hole total of six under par 210, Mason edged his tense final day battle with playing partner and title rival Rocca with his dramatic birdie, secured after a superb 121-yard wedge to two feet on the 18th hole being replayed.
When Rocca’s own 18 feet birdie effort lipped out, Mason calmly tapped in to seal the 17th win of his Seniors Tour career. The top prize of €49,713 (£33,750) took Mason’s career earnings to €1,521,836 (£1,033,321) and he surpassed the previous record holder, fellow countryman Tommy Horton, as the leading European Seniors Tour money winner of all time.
Mason said: “It is an achievement I am proud of, but I’m glad it’s out of the way now, as everyone has been telling me about it and asking about it this week. It was a little bit more pressure on an already demanding week, as the defending champion, so I’m even more delighted to have won and retained my title. It’s always a little more difficult when you’re defending.”
Mason, who shot a final round of one over par 73 to Rocca’s level par 72, needed to hole a monster 35 feet birdie across the full width of the green on the 18th hole to set-up the play-off, having wobbled on the back nine and dropped three shots.
He said: “I really thought my chance had gone when I bogeyed 14, 15 and 16, but my first birdie on 18 proves that you must never give up. I have to admit I was very relieved to see it drop.”
A disappointed Rocca who, with a two shot lead heading down the 18th hole, bogeyed the last after failing to get up and down from the near greenside bunker, reflected on his play-off defeat: “Sometimes you have to say you are unlucky; sometimes you have to say he was a little bit better. Today, I say both.”
England’s Bob Cameron was third after closing with a 68 for a five under par 211 total, while Zimbabwe’s Tony Johnstone shot 69 to finish fourth on three under par 213. Scotland’s Sam Torrance shot a 68 to finish one shot further back on two under par 214 in a tie for fifth place.
FINAL TOTALS
210 C Mason (Eng) 71 66 73; C Rocca (Ita) 69 69 72 – Mason wins with sudden-death birdie on the first hole of play-off.
211 B Cameron (Eng) 73 70 68
213 T Johnstone (Zim) 75 69 69
214 S Torrance (Sco) 75 71 68; S Owen (Nzl) 72 71 71; J Rivero (Spn) 74 68 72; G Encina (Chl) 72 68 74
215 M James (Eng) 76 65 74
216 G Watine (Fra) 73 70 73
217 D Johnson (USA) 75 71 71; P Oakley (USA) 72 70 75
218 M Gray (Sco) 78 72 68; L Carbonetti (Arg) 76 71 71; D O’Sullivan (Irl) 74 71 73; D Good (Aus) 70 74 74; A Fernandez (Chl) 73 69 76
219 J Bland (RSA) 75 75 70; A Sowa (Arg) 70 76 73; M Pinero (Spn) 70 75 74; E Rodriguez (Spn) 71 73 75; S Ginn (Aus) 75 68 76
220 S Martin (Sco) 75 73 72; H Carbonetti (Arg) 75 73 72; T Allen (Eng) 76 72 72; A Murray (Eng) 72 75 73; M Foster (Eng) 71 74 75
221 J Lapsley (Nzl) 74 76 71; GJ Brand (Eng) 73 75 73; N Job (Eng) 76 72 73; J Quiros (Spn) 71 74 76; G Cali (Ita) 71 73 77
222 J Chillas (Sco) 70 78 74; P Teravainen (USA) 75 73 74; B Lincoln (RSA) 75 71 76; P Dugeny (Fra) 71 70 81
223 B Malley (USA) 74 76 73; J Bruner (USA) 77 73 73; M Miller (Sco) 75 74 74; DJ Russell (Eng) 77 72 74; G Ralph (Eng) 78 70 75
224 D Merriman (Aus) 75 74 75; I Mosey (Eng) 73 74 77; N Ratcliffe (Aus) 76 76 73; M Bembridge (Eng) 76 76 73; M Poxon (Eng) 72 77 76; D Cambridge (Jam) 73 76 76; T Gale (Aus) 74 74 77
227 JM Canizares (Spn) 82 71 74; J Benda (USA) 83 69 75; M Ferguson (Aus) 81 69 77; J Heggarty (Nir) 77 72 78; J Rhodes (Eng) 76 72 79
228 D Durnian (Eng) 79 75 74; B Larratt (Eng) 75 78 75; T Horton (Eng) 76 77 75; R Drummond (Sco) 79 72 77; J Mashego (RSA) 76 79 74; B Longmuir (Sco) 74 80 75; T Rastall (Eng) 75 77 77
230 P Leonard (Nir) 79 78 73; B Heuchan (Can) 75 76 79
231 A Garrido (Spn) 77 79 75; K Spurgeon (Eng) 77 78 76
232 I Palmer (RSA) 79 74 79; B Lendzion (USA) 75 76 81
233 B Smit (RSA) 84 76 73; N Coles (Eng) 81 75 77
236 V Garcia (Spn) 81 78 78
239 D Creamer (Eng) 81 76 82
242 T Charnley (Eng) 82 84 76
Labels: Pro seniors
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, September 02, 2007
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home