Sam Torrance finishes Senior Tour
season with first win of 2008

From Steve Todd, European Senior Tour Press Officer
Sam Torrance claimed his first win of 2008 at the OKI Castellón Open España – Senior Tour Championship, on a day when another Ryder Cup winning captain, Ian Woosnam, sealed his first European Senior Tour Order of Merit title.
Torrance, who has struggled all year with a hand injury, fired a final round 69 at Club de Campo del Mediterráneo to finish on 13 under par 203, two strokes clear of Chilean Angel Fernandez and Japan’s Katsuyoshi Tomori at the Senior Tour’s season finale.
The Scot, who had a two-stroke overnight lead going into the final round, dropped his only shot of the tournament on the par-4 10th hole to let Fernandez draw level but immediately recovered with a birdie on the 11th.
Sam then picked up another shot on the 16th hole, while Fernandez could only bogey the 17th, to seal his tenth European Senior Tour victory.
It meant the 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain maintained his record of winning each year on the Senior Tour since his first full season in 2004.
“It was last chance saloon to keep that run going,” he said. “I knew that coming here. I hope to keep it going next year but only do it earlier.
“It’s a lovely way to spend four months now reflecting. It’s fantastic to win again. I’m delighted. It’s been a tough week. I’ve not been well all week which has probably taken my mind off the golf but it is great to win again – it’s been a while.
“I’ve been playing well for the last couple of months so it was a case of just doing it at the right time. I made a bad bogey on the 10th. I had a good tee shot then an eight iron just caught the top of the tree – it was a poor shot. That was my only bogey of the week though.”
The win moved Torrance up from 20th to eighth in the final Senior Tour Order of Merit, which he won in 2005 and 2006.
Torrance paid tribute to Woosnam who claimed his maiden Senior Tour Order of Merit title – and the John Jacobs Trophy – despite withdrawing because of a back injury after completing nine holes of his final round at Club de Campo del Mediterráneo.
“Congratulations go to Ian for winning the Order of Merit after a fine rookie season. I’ll be giving him some stick next year though,” joked Torrance.
Woosnam, who won two times in 2008, earned €320,119 in his rookie season to finish €62,376 ahead of nearest rival Gordon J Brand and become the first former European Tour Order of Merit winner to repeat the feat on the Senior Tour.
He said: “It has been a great season and I’m happy to be back in the record books.”
Final round scores from the OKI Castellón Open España – Senior Tour Championship

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
203 S Torrance (Sco) 68 66 69.
205 K Tomori (Jpn) 69 68 68, A Fernandez (Chi) 66 70 69.
207 E Rodriguez (Esp) 68 70 69, J Rivero (Esp) 70 66 71.
208 D Smyth (Irl) 70 71 67, B Longmuir (Sco) 70 70 68.
209 J Bruner (USA) 68 70 71, B Cameron (Eng) 69 67 73.
210 S Ginn (Aus) 75 67 68; L Carbonetti (Arg) 71 68 71; H Carbonetti (Arg) 67 70 73;
211 A Franco (Par) 74 70 67; G Cali (Ita) 72 72 67; T Johnstone (Zim) 72 71 68; R Drummond (Sco) 68 71 72.
212 J Rhodes (Eng) 71 72 69.
213 C Rocca (Ita) 66 76 71.
215 N Job (Eng) 70 72 73.
216 D Cambridge (Jam) 75 72 69; B Boyd (USA) 71 75 70; J Bland (RSA) 72 73 71; D O'Sullivan (Irl) 74 69 73; C Mason (Eng) 70 73 73; J Quiros (Esp) 71 71 74;
217 G Watine (Fra) 71 73 73;
218 M Gray (Sco) 72 74 72; E Darcy (Irl) 72 74 72; D Hospital (Esp) 69 74 75;
219 P Oakley (USA) 73 73 73; D Merriman (Aus) 71 75 73; A Murray (Eng) 69 72 78;
220 B Lincoln (RSA) 77 72 71; G Encina (Chi) 75 74 71; G Brand (Eng) 74 74 72;
221 J Hall (Eng) 73 72 76;
222 P Mitchell (Eng) 72 74 76, J Chillas (Sco) 73 72 77.
223 D Russell (Eng) 75 77 71.
227 S Owen (Nzl) 72 74 81.
Retired: I Woosnam (Wal) 72 71 -.
Withdrew: V Garcia (Esp) 78 -.