Lloyd Saltman one off the pace at windy Toulouse

By RODDY WILLIAMS
European Tour Press Staff
Lloyd Saltman continued his impressive current form to lie one shot off the lead in the ALLIANZ Golf Open du Grand Toulouse in France.
Saltman shot a three under par 68 in strong winds at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh to sit alongside Frenchman Olivier David and Welshman Stuart Manley, one behind first round leader Stuart Davis of England.
“I played really well,” said the Lothians man. “When we were warming up it was flat calm but then the wind really picked up as we stepped on the first tee. But I played well and kept it in play. The ball was oscillating on the greens which makes it tough and with the cross winds out there it can make club selection very difficult.”
Saltman is lying well down the Rankings but there is still plenty to play for on both the Challenge Tour and with the Qualifying School looming, and having finished in the top ten on his last three outings – one the Challenge Tour, Qualifying School First Stage and EuroPro Tour – he is confident about his game.
“Really I just want to be playing. I needed a top ten in Russia two weeks ago to get here this week and I need to repeat that to get into next week. I am in a good position after that round and if I can keep the momentum going I can put myself in amongst it.
"Coming from Scotland, I am enjoying the wind and with everyone pushing hard at this time of year I need to get myself in position over the weekend to try and get that top ten. I need to get that momentum going heading into the end of the season and the Q-School.”
Davis, inspired by Europe’s victory in The Ryder Cup, is the man to catch after an opening four under par 67.
Having been gripped by The Ryder Cup on TV and enthralled by the putts drained through all four days, he managed to hole his own fair share to set the clubhouse lead.
“The putter was hot - 26 putts is the best putting round I have had for a long time,” he said.
“The thing that came across to me about The Ryder Cup was how good they all were under pressure and how good their short game was. The pitches and putts they holed were just tremendous. It was great for European golf. It was tight but all credit to the lads who did us all proud.”
The ALLIANZ Golf Open du Grand Toulouse is the fourth last event of the Challenge Tour season at the end of which the top 20 will graduate to The European Tour.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 71
67 S Davis (Eng) ,
68 L Saltman (Sco) , S Manley (Wal) , O David (Fra) ,
69 J Grillon (Fra) , I Giner (Esp) , C Russo (Fra) , Å Nilsson (Swe) , C Del Moral (Esp) , A Wagner (Arg) , J McLeary (Sco) , C Lee (Sco) , T Feyrsinger (Aut) ,
70 T Fleetwood (Eng) , L Jensen (Den) , J Sjöholm (Swe) , W Besseling (Ned) , A McArthur (Sco) , R Dinwiddie (Eng) , A Snobeck (Fra) , B Wiesberger (Aut) , J Clément (Sui) , S Walker (Eng) ,
71 F Colombo (Ita) , F Fritsch (Ger) , J Billot (Fra) , J Legarrea (Esp) , C Moriarty (Irl) , G Houston (Wal) , D Perrier (Fra) , L Slattery (Eng) , A Velasco (Esp) , W Ormsby (Aus) , J Lopez Lazaro (am) (Fra) ,
72 C Ford (Eng) , R Russell (Sco) , A Hansen (Den) , J Ruth (Eng) , B Lecuona (Fra) , K Le Sager (Fra) , G Clark (Eng) , B Hebert (Fra) , B Grace (RSA) , A Hartø (Den) , M Baldwin (Eng) , R Kakko (Fin) ,
73 S Jamieson (Sco) , R Eyraud (Fra) , R Steiner (Aut) , S Gross Jr (Ger) , D Nouailhac (Fra) , C Gane (Eng) , A Ahokas (Fin) , B Nicolay (Fra) , M Carlsson (Swe) , A Tadini (Ita) , B Teilleria (Fra) , J Garcia (Esp) , M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) , L Gagli (Ita) , F Calmels (Fra) , J Foret (Fra) , J Xanthopoulos (Fra) , S Jeppesen (Swe) , R Wattel (am) (Fra) ,
74 G Murray (Sco) , J Zapata (Arg) , A Bernadet (Fra) , E Dubois (Fra) , N Porteboeuf (Fra) , V Riu (Fra) , M Tullo (Chi) , A Grenier (Fra) , L Kennedy (Eng) , T Olesen (Den) , M Thorp (Nor) , P Golding (Eng) , O Whiteley (Eng) , N Meitinger (Ger) , J Colomo (Esp) , A Gee (Eng) , M Quiros (Esp) ,
75 F Marty (Fra) , A Kaleka (Fra) , G Rosier (Fra) , M Hill (Fra) , S Tiley (Eng) , M Ford (Eng) , M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) , N Kearney (Irl) ,
76 A Marshall (Eng) , F De Vries (Ned) , L Richard (Bel) , T Fournier (Fra) , J Guerrier (Fra) , T Stewart (Aus) , K Eriksson (Swe) , L Bond (Wal) , P Erice Ibanez (Esp) , A Perrino (Ita) , S Robinson (Eng) , A Levy (am) (Fra) ,
77 B Chapellan (Fra) , C Gallois (Fra) , B Evans (Eng) , M Zions (Aus) , D Gaunt (Aus) , J Makitalo (Fin) ,
78 L Claverie (Esp) , F Praegant (Aut) , C Brazillier (Fra) , C Macaulay (Sco) ,
79 B Ritthammer (Ger) , E Chaudouet (Fra) , D Vanegas (Col) , L Salgado (Fra) , O Floren (Swe) ,
80 A Högberg (Swe) ,
81 P Valmary (Fra) ,
82 S Surry (Eng) ,

Justin Rose resigns from European Tour membership

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Justin Rose has resigned from the European Tour five weeks after being left out of the Ryder Cup team, but is not facing a two-year ban and is expected to be back as a member next season.
The former Tour number one, who admits he was "deflated" when told by Colin Montgomerie he was not getting a wild card, has played only three events on this side of the Atlantic all season. Even with two majors and a world championship in America counting towards membership, Rose was only halfway towards the minimum 12 required and there are only seven more to come.
Keith Waters, the Tour's chief operating officer, told Press Association Sport: "We've been discussing the situation with Justin for months and months as you can imagine. He resigned with a view to rejoining next season and then playing 12-plus counting events."

The rules state that anyone failing to participate in the minimum "shall not be eligible for reinstatement to European Tour membership without the written permission of the chief executive until the lapse of 24 calendar months".
But Walters stated that no disciplinary action will be taken against the 30-year-old, who on his website describes himself as "more excited than ever to get into the team for 2012".
Rose's name has already been removed from this year's "Race to Dubai" money list and so he is ineligible for the season-ending Dubai World Championship next month.
He will, though, be playing alongside Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson at the HSBC Champions - part of the World Golf Championship series - in Shanghai from November 4-7.
Walters added: "He started the year in a difficult position outside the world's top 50 and not qualified for the world championships or majors.
"It's been hard for him to get to 12 and having played only six to this point he didn't want to play six of the next seven weeks, not least because he's had a bit of a niggling wrist injury."
In his latest blog Rose wrote: "Congratulations to the European Ryder Cup team on winning the cup back. I am more excited than ever to get into the team for 2012 as I think the cup changing hands between the two teams in the last few years has really been positive for this great sporting rivalry. Well done boys!"

Laird leads but Westwood hurt again

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Lee Westwood suffered a recurrence of his calf injury today, but is expected to continue his bid to replace Tiger Woods as world number one at St Andrews tomorrow.
Three days after enjoying another Ryder Cup victory, Westwood hurt himself a third of the way into his opening round of the Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns.
The 37-year-old Englishman battled on to score a two-under-par 70, only four behind leaders Martin Laird, Thomas Bjorn, Ricardo Gonzalez and Maarten Lafeber, but immediately went off for treatment and to speak to his physical trainer Steve McGregor.
At that point he expressed genuine fears that he might be advised to pull out of the event and take another extended break - the Ryder Cup was his first competitive golf since August 6 - but word came from his management company later that he had been told it was okay to carry on.

"I felt it coming off the seventh tee," said Westwood, who needs a top-two finish on Sunday to end Woods' reign.
"It was a really steep downslope and it's really aching now like I'm doing too much too soon. Playing two weeks in a row was probably too much in hindsight, I should have gone back to rehab. I don't want to get back to where it was. It improved a lot, but it's still not right.
"I can't load my right side. I just want to get off it as quickly as possible. I've got my compression and ice machine with me and I'll see the guys in the Tour physio unit, then give Steve a ring.
"I was playing great before the injury and I've not had a chance to practice. That's frustrating in itself. I'm just not able to work hard. I was advised not to flog myself last week and although I didn't have to play five games it was four on a hilly, heavy course.
"Steve said it wouldn't be right for six months. I don't want to be stupid, that's the problem. I made a mistake going to the Bridgestone."
He pulled out on the second day in Akron, where he also had an opportunity to dethrone Woods. Because of how the world ranking system works over a rolling two-year cycle, Westwood would have been certain to dethrone Woods if he had withdrawn and then missed his defence of the Portugal Masters next week.
By playing on the task is harder, but he had commented on the eve of the tournament: "That's not the way I want to do it. I want to get to world number one by playing the way I have for the last two years and proving I'm the best."
The 66 by Laird, back in his homeland from the US Tour, was the low round of the day at Kingsbarns, while Dutchman Lafeber was the only player to record the same score at Carnoustie. Cup vice-captain Bjorn and Argentinian Gonzalez were both at St Andrews, generally considered the easiest of the three courses used for the celebrity pro-am.

EUROPEAN TOUR SCOREBOARD

ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
FIRST ROUND
OLD COURSE, ST ANDREWS
Par 72
66 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Thomas Bjorn (Den)
67 Danny Willett, Kenneth Ferrie
68 Richard Bland, Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Alan McLean, Paul Waring,. Clodomiro Carranza (Arg), Graeme Storm, Stephen Dodd, Jamie Donaldson, Charl Coetzee (Rsa)
69 Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Marcel Siem (Ger), Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Gary Boyd, David McKenzie (Aus), Stephen Gallacher, Shane Lowry, Pablo Martin (Spa)
70 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por), Robert Rock, Marc Warren, Ariel Canete (Arg), Peter Hedblom (Swe), Johan Edfors (Swe), Ross McGowan, Thomas Levet (Fra)
71 Jamie Elson, Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Paul Lawrie, Oskar Henningsson (Swe), Steven O'Hara, Julien Quesne (Fra)
72 Martin Wiegele (Aut), Gary Lockerbie, Marco Ruiz (Par), Andrew Butterfield, Richard McEvoy, Rafael Echenique (Arg), Mark Brown (Nzl), Oliver Fisher
73 David Drysdale, Gary Murphy, Marcus Both (Aus), Michael Jonzon (Swe), James Morrison, Gregory Havret (Fra), Trevor Fisher junior (Rsa)
74 Jeppe Huldahl (Den)
75 Mark Foster
76 Peter Whiteford, Josh Geary (Nzl)
77 Keir McNicoll

CARNOUSTIE
Par 72
66 Maarten Lafeber (Ned)
67 Tim Wilkinson (Nzl)
68 Richard Finch
69 Anthony Kang (USA), Richie Ramsay, Thomas Aiken (Rsa), James Kingston (Rsa), David Dixon, David Lynn, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra)
70 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Phillip Price, Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Matthew Griffin (Aus)
71 Anders Hansen (Den), Richard Green (Aus), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), James Kamte (Rsa)
72 Hennie Otto (Rsa), Gareth Maybin, Benn Barham, Soren Hansen (Den), Jason Norris (Australia), Alexander Noren (Swe), Rick Kulacz (Australia), Markus Brier (Aut), Phillip Archer, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa)
73 Sam Hutsby, Anthony Wall, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel), Scott Strange (Aus), Tano Goya (Arg), Bradley Dredge
74 Michael Campbell (Nzl), Sam Little, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), Dave Horsey, Peter O'Malley (Aus)
75 Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind), Matteo Manassero (Ita), Jose Manuel Lara (Spa)
76 Dustin Garza (USA), Niclas Fasth (Swe)
77 Brandon Pieters (Rsa), C Muniyappa (Ind), Leigh Mckechnie (Australia), Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa), Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind)
78 Pelle Edberg (Swe)
79 Francois Delamontagne (Fra)
80 Brett Rumford (Aus)
82 Jean Van de Velde (Fra)

KINGSBARNS LINKS
Par 72
66 Martin Laird
67 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), John Parry, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par)
68 Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Robert Coles, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Alvaro Quiros (Spa)
69 Adilson Da Silva (Bra), Ross Fisher, David Howell, Andrew Coltart, Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Victor Dubuisson (Fra), Simon Dyson
70 Steve Webster, Graeme McDowell, Ernie Els (Rsa), Peter Lawrie, Lee Westwood
71 Rory McIlroy, Scott Hend (Aus), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Rhys Davies, Michael Hoey, Padraig Harrington, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa)
72 Christian Cevaer (Fra), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Damien McGrane, Oliver Wilson, Colin Montgomerie, Peter Gustafsson (Swe), Nick Dougherty, Simon Khan
73 Anton Haig (Rsa), Chris Wood, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Joost Luiten (Ned), George Coetzee (Rsa), Terry Pilkadaris (Aus), Craig Scott (Aus), Simon Thornton, Edoardo Molinari (Ita)
74 Peter Hanson (Swe), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Andrew Dodt (Aus), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa), Paul McGinley
75 John Daly (USA), Alastair Forsyth, Ashley Hall (Aus)
76 Keith Horne (Rsa), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Darren Clarke
77 Robert Karlsson (Swe)

Murcar Links member Bews is runner-up in Amateur 1-2 finish

North-east's winning team at the Scottish Alliance championship. Left to right: Ian Bratton, Jordan Findlay, Anthony Bews, Philip McLean and Andrew Campbell. Kevin Duncan was also a team member but had to leave before the prizegiving. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency. JORDAN FINDLAY COASTS TO FIVE-STROKE VICTORY IN SCOTTISH ALLIANCE CHAMPIONSHIP By COLIN FARQUHARSON Fraserburgh's Jordan Findlay, recapturing the form that saw him reach two British boys' championship finals in a row as a teenager, outstripped his amateur and professional rivals to win the Scottish Golfers' Alliance championship by the comfortable margin of five strokes at Murcar Links today. He had started the last round with a lead of two from Terry Mathieson, the former Murcar amateur who is now on the pro staff at Dunbar. Now 22 and beaten finalist in this year's Scottish amateur championship at Gullane, Findlay's rounds of two-under-par 69 in a half-gale on Day 1 at Murcar Links, a two-under 70 in the second round at Newburgh and a repeat 69 on his return to Murcar for the last round, gave him an excellent final total of six-under-par 208. "I was brought up playing golf in the wind at the Broch (Fraserburgh), so I was quite at home with the weather over the three days," said Findlay who gained his first Scotland cap in the home internationals. "I've been playing well for most of the season. The big disappointment was failing to get past Stage 1 of the European Tour Qualifying School at Dundonald Links but I am going to stay amateur for another year, and have a real go at earning selection for the Walker Cup match at Royal Aberdeen next September. It's a tall order but if I can play well in the Lytham Trophy and the British amateur championship next year, it can be done." Findlay birdied the long fourth with two putts, the short fifth, the 11th and the long 14th in halves of 36 and 33. He bogeyed the first with three putts and the sixth where he was bunkered but other than that it was a most assured front-running display that suggests the former US college circuit player could yet make the grade as a tour pro at next year's Qualifying School. It is indicative of Findlay's improved form from about midway through the season that he was not selected for the North-east District team who won the SGU team championship in May. "I just wasn't playing well enough at that point of the year," said Jordan. Anthony Bews, who works in Gary Forbes' Murcar Links pro shop but is an amateur with no plans to turn pro because he is "enjoying the game so much," also had plenty of reasons to be cheerful after rounds of 67, 75 and 71 (37-34) for one-under-par 213 saw him finish second – the first 1-2 amateur finish in the Scottish Alliance championship for a long time. Bews, who was a member of that title-winning North-east District team in May, birdied the 17th and holed a par-saving 25ft putt at the last to be the only other player apart from Findlay to be under par for the 54 holes and also to finish one shot ahead of professionals Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) (72-73-69) and Terry Mathieson (Dunbar) (69-72-73). They finished joint third on level par 214 and split the first two pro prizes of £1,000 and £750. There were six pro prizes in all. "I had 18 birdies over the three days - and finished level par," said McKechnie (pictured right) who was out in 34 and home in 35. "That tells you something!" The Braid Hills pro's hopes of winning the title for a third time (he was Scottish Alliance champiuon in 1997 and again in 2006), died at the long 14th where he lost a ball and ran up a double bogey 7. Birdies at 17 and 18 could not repair the damage. "I had my chances but couldn't take them," said a disappointed Mathieson (pictured below) who had halves of 37 and 36. "Jordan three-putted the first hole for a bogey and I got a par 4, which meant I was only one shot behind him on the second tee. "But I missed a short putt at the second and another at the seventh, and the way Jordan was playing after he settled, I needed something a lot better than that to catch him." North-east won the team trophy with a total of 1306. Midlands (1365) and Edinburgh and East (1402) were third. North-east's team members were Jordan Findlay, Anthony Bews, Andrew Campbell (Deeside), Philip McLean (Peterhead), Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) and Ian Bratton, the Newburgh pro. George Wither (Lothianburn) won the senior title for the second year in a row. The over-55s section is decided over the first two rounds and George had scores of 79 and 75 for 154. FINAL TOTALS Par 214 (2x71, 1x72). CSS: Murcar Links 76 (reduction only), 75, 75.  Newburgh: 74, 72. 208 J Findlay (Fraserburgh) (am) 69 70 69. 213 A Bews (Murcar Links) (am) 67 75 71. 214 P McKechnie (Braid Hills) (p) 72 73 69, T Mathieson (Dunbar) (p) 69 72 73. 217 A Lockhart (Ladybank) (p) 74 73 70, C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) (p) 75 71 71. 220 A Campbell (Deeside) (am) 71 78 71, P McLean (Peterhead) (am) 67 78 75. 221 K Duncan (McDonald Ellon) (am) 77 70 74, J Fowler (Hayston) (am) 71 73 77. 224 I Bratton (Newburgh) (p) 81 72 71, A Reid (West Lothian) (p) 78 73 73, R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) (p) 75 72 77. 225 G Brown (Montrose Links) (p) 72 75 78. 226 G Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundaton) (p) 73 77 76, S Lamb (Broomieknowe) (p) 74 75 77. 228 I Buchan (Craibstone) (p) 77 75 76. 230 G Murray (Spey Bay) (am) 79 77 74, G G Wither (Lothianburn) (am) 79 75 76, J Hopwood (Carnegie) (p) 73 79 78. Other totals: 232 S E Harrod (Ballumbie Castle 78 79 75. 233 J MacKay (Kilmarnock Barassie) 75 79 79. 234 F Clarke (Newmachar) 78 81 75. 235 A J Webster (Edzell) 77 82 76, R Harrower (Boat of Garten) 80 77 78. 236 R Stewart (Tulliallan) 87 71 78. 238 G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 80 79 79. 241 Laura Murray (Alford) 83 77 81 243 C Stewart (Kippie Lodge) 81 82 80. 244 A K Pirie (Hazlehead) 80 78 86. 245 I Esslemont (Newburgh) 80 82 83. 246 R Leadley (American Golf) 84 80 82. 247 P Brookes (Pitreavie) 86 81 80, C Alexander (Murcar Links) 85 80 82. 248 P W McIntosh (Newburgh) 89 79 80, C Cassie (Nigg Bay) 85 80 83, M Fraser (The Duke's) 80 85 83. 250 L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 81 86 83, G Cree (Troon Welbeck) 85 80 85. 252 J White (Harrison) 79 84 89. 253 M Forster (Cruden Bay) 88 81 84. 254 K Beveridge (Inchmarlo) 85 81 88. 256 R Murray (West Lothian) 83 82 91. 257 H Roulston (Stonehaven) 80 84 93. 260 J D Murray (Banchory) 91 78 91 262 J Forrest (Northern) 85 84 93. 271 D Philip (Newburgh) 80 87 104. NRs D MacKay (Newmachar) 83 83 NR, I Graham (Crow Wood) 76 78 NR.

Three leading trophy winners at the Scottish Alliance championship. Left: George Wither (Lothianburn), champion of the over-55s for the second year in a row, Scottish Alliance champion Jordan Findlay, and right, Anthony Bews who was runner-up to Jordan and, under the rules of the competition, gains the Leading Amateur Trophy. Images by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

English senior men's county finals at Ferndown

Dorset revival in singles against Northants

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Dorset stole a march on the ‘big two’ with a remarkable 6-3 victory over Northamptonshire on the opening day of the English Seniors County Finals at Ferndown as Cheshire and Kent, the joint favourites, battled out a tie.
There was little hint of the final outcome when Rodney Haig and Brian O’Connell and Mike Abbotts and Jim Pagan sealed solid victories for Northants, while John Smith and David Barton gained Dorset’s only success.

But it was a different story in the afternoon. After going into lunch 1-2 down, Dorset went into the singles with all guns blazing and turned the match on its head by taking five of the six games.

Their only setback came in the top single where Richard Cole added to the Midlanders tally with a 2 and 1 win over John Smith.

Otherwise it was Dorset all the way with John Gordon leading from the front with a 4 and 2 win over Brian O’Connell. He was backed by David Barton and Campbell Boal, who both won by 2 and 1, while Rodger Hearn claimed a 2 hole victory and Brian Medlam a 1 hole success.

There has been little to separate the over 55s of Cheshire and Kent over recent years and this was underlined on an extraordinary first day. The match ended 4.5 – 4.5 after the two teams couldn’t be separated after the foursomes and the singles series also finished all square.

Chris Reynolds and Chris Hurst gave Kent a boost when they beat Roy Smethurst and Gordon Broster 3 and 2 in the opening foursomes. But Phil Slater and Bob Walker evened things up with a similar scoreline against Andrew Stracey and Ricky Moore.

In the third game, Dave Jessup and Roger Salmon for Kent raced 3-up after six holes against George Payne and Ron Harrison then proceeded to lose three holes in a row from the seventh. They got to 2-up again by winning the tenth and 12th but then saw the advantage slip away again to finish all square.

Could one side take a grip in the singles? Harrison won well for Cheshire as did Reynolds for Kent but the other games were too close to call.

Slater edged to a point by the narrowest of margins over Jessup, who again saw a significant lead slip away. The Kent man was 4-up after ten holes but Slater took the 11th then birdies at the short 12th and long 13th saw Jessup’s lead cut to one.

Another Slater birdie at the 16th got him back to all-square and he repeated it at 17 to edge in front before a half at the 18th saw him home.

Would Cheshire push on to an overall victory? No, Reynolds played exceptionally well against Joe Phillips, covering the front nine in three under par to go to the tenth 4-up. Phillips managed to win the 12th and 15th but Reynolds rounded it off at the 16th, winning 3 and 2.

Deadlock reigned and it was destined to finish that way as the other two games finished all square, leaving both counties to seek wins in their other matches.

Senior beats Pepperell in Egyptian title play-off

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Jack Senior from Heysham added to Lancashire’s ever increasing list of successes this year when he beat England team-mate Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park) in a sudden death play-off for the Egyptian Amateur Championship.
The pair had tied on 215, one under par, after 54 holes, but a 12-foot putt for a birdie-three on the first extra hole saw Senior to victory.
Strong winds presented the players with a real challenge during all three rounds over the Katameya Heights course in Cairo. It made for difficult scoring with the best rounds of the week coming from South Africa’s Thabo Maseko, who shot 69 in the opening round wich was matched by Pepperell in the second.
Third place went to Maseko on 217, while Abdulla al Mosharekh from United Arab Emirates was fourth on 220.
The leading five players secured invites to the Egyptian Open, part of the European Challenge Tour, from October 20th to 23rd.


Leading final scores:
215 J Senior (Heysham) 72 72 71, E Pepperell (Drayton Park) 74 69 72
(Senior won playoff at first extra hole)
217 T Maseko (SA) 69 75 73
220 A Al-Mosharek (UAE) 72 76 72
225 M Andresen (Norway) 78 75 72