O'HAIR AND PERRY WIN FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SHOOT-OUT IN FLORIDA

           KENNY PERRY (left) and SEAN O'HAIR WITH THE TROPHY

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
Sean O'Hair and 52-year-old Kenny Perry closed with a 12-under 60 on Sunday to win the Franklin Templeton Shootout by one stroke and $375,000 apiece at Tiburon Golf Club, Naples in Florida.
The duo finished at 31-under-par 185. O'Hair won this event for the first time, while Perry won for the third time with his third different team-mate. 
English Ryder Cup player Ian Poulter and American Dustin Johnson could finish no better than a tie for seven th place but each pocketed $81,250 (about £40,000). Nice "work" if you can get it!
Sunday's final round was a scramble and seven of the 12 teams shot 60 or lower.

FINAL SCORES and EARNINGS
Place	Team	Round			Score	Earnings
		1	2	3
1	Sean O'Hair and  Kenny Perry	-8	-11	-12	-31	$375,000 each
2	Charles Howell III  and Rory Sabbatini	-6	-9	-15	-30	$235,000 each
3	Jason Dufner and Vijay Singh	-6	-9	-13	-28	$140,000 each
T4	Jerry Kelly  and Steve Stricker	-4	-9	-14	-27	$97,500 each
T4	Stewart Cink and Carl Pettersson	-5	-10	-12	-27	$97,500 each
T4	Davis Love III and Brandt Snedeker	-10	-7	-10	-27	$97,500 each
T7	Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele	-5	-8	-12	-25	$81,250 each
T7	Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter	-5	-7	-13	-25	$81,250 each
9	Bud Cauley and Rickie Fowler	-6	-5	-9	-20	$77,500 each
10	Justin Leonard  and Scott Verplank	-2	-5	-9	-16	$75,000 each
11	Fredrik Jacobson and Greg Norman	E	-4	-9	-13	$72,500 each
12	Mark Calcavecchia and Mike Weir			-2	-1	-7	-10	$70,000 each

DIFFERENT FORMAT FOR EACH ROUND

First Round, Modified Alternate Shot - Each player hits a drive on every hole and one drive is selected. The player whose drive is NOT selected hits the second shot, and they alternate shots until the ball is holed.

Second Round, Better Ball - Each player plays through every hole using his own ball. The player whose score is the lowest on each hole will be the team score for that hole.

Final Round, Scramble - Each player hits a drive on every hole and the best drive is selected. Each player then plays a second shot from the spot where the selected drive lays, and the best second shot is selected. This process is repeated until the hole is completed.

JAMIESON VICTORY COULD BE FALSE DAWN FOR SCOTTISH GOLF

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By ALISTAIR TAIT
Follow him: Twitter@GolfweekTait 
Everyone concerned about the state of Scottish golf will be hoping Scott Jamieson’s victory in the Nelson Mandela Championship heralds the start of a Scottish revival.
We shouldn’t hold our breath.
Jamieson became the first Scottish golfer to win the opening event of a European Tour season since Stephen McAllister won the 1990 Vino Verde Atlantic Open.
It might be the weirdest win Jamieson ever achieves.
With heavy rain in Durban bringing chaos to the opening event of the 2013 European Tour season, organisers were forced to reduce the tournament to 36 holes and shorten the Royal Durban Golf Club lay-out to a par-65.
The 29-year-old former Augusta State player began the final round six shots off the lead, but eight birdies and no bogeys gave Jamieson a closing 57 – yes, 57 – and helped him to a share of the lead along with England’s Steve Webster and Eduardo De La Riva of Spain in the rain-shortened tournament.
Jamieson then took the title with back-to-back pars on the first two extra holes. De La Riva dropped out after the first hole with a bogey, while Webster found trouble on the second extra hole to give the Scot his first European Tour victory.
“To get your name on any European trophy is a fantastic achievement,” said Jamieson, “but it’s a little more special when it’s for someone like Nelson [Mandela].
“At the start of the day I probably didn’t think I would be standing here holding the trophy; but I knew I needed a fast start and I was lucky enough to get that.
“It's amazing; I've got to give a special mention to my wife Natalie, my family, Nike golf, everyone at my home club of Cathkin Braes in Scotland and all the other people who has ever helped me get to his point. I couldn't have done it without them."
Jamieson earns a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2014 season along with the €158,500 first-place cheque.
He becomes the 22nd Scottish golfer to win on the European Tour. Those 22 players have racked up 131 wins since the European Tour began in the 1970s. Colin Montgomerie has 31 of those wins, while Sandy Lyle accounts for 18.
Despite Jamieson’s win, it’s hard right now to see where the next 131 victories are going to come from.
It’s perhaps a sad reflection on the current state of Scottish golf that Paul Lawrie is the Scotland’s top-ranked player. 
Enjoying a renaissance at the age of 43, Lawrie is currently ranked 29th, Richie Ramsay is 53rd, Martin Laird occupies 63rd spot while Stephen Gallacher is 92nd. Jamieson is World No. 167.
Four Scots in the world's top 100 might be good enough for some nations, but not for the country that invented the game. Especially when so much money is invested in amateur golf.
Jamieson’s victory helps the Scottish cause. It adds to the two notched up by Ramsay and Marc Warren in recent years to go with wins from the old guard of Lawrie and Gallacher. 
Where future wins are going to come from is a moot point.
Scotland currently has no players in the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking compared to England’s 12. Jack McDonald is the highest-ranked Scot at World No. 105.
Scotland finished 44th in this year’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey. The Scots didn’t even make the A-flight, finishing lower than nations like Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
With young Scots like James Byrne, Michael Stewart and David Law still trying to find their feet in the pro game, Jamieson and the likes of Ramsay and Warren have a heavy load to bear in the coming years.
Let’s hope Jamieson and Co. have strong shoulders!

 FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT
SCOTT JAMIESON'S VICTORY

• His first European Tour International Schedule victory in his 65th European Tour event.
• Moves to the top of The Race to Dubai with €118,875.
• This victory beats his previous best European Tour finishes of tied third. They all came in the 2011 season. The events were:  the Open de España, the BMW International Open and the Barclays Scottish Open.
• Becomes the first, first-time winner of the 2013 season.
• Only second Scot to win a co-sanctioned event with the Sunshine Tour, following Richie Ramsay at the 2010 South African Open Championship.
• The first Scot to win the opening event of a European Tour season since Stephen McAllister won the 1990 Vino Verde Atlantic Open.

OTHER FACTS
• The 131st Scottish victory in European Tour history.
• Jamieson Becomes the 22nd different Scot to win on The European Tour.
• He gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2014 season.
• Scott also gains an exemption into the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions.
• It was his third victory as a professional.
• Jamieson becomes the 308th European Tour victory by a former European Challenge Tour player.
• He is the 128th different former Challenge Tour player to win on The European Tour.

DAVID FROST HOLDS ON TO WIN MAURITIUS SENIORS TITLE

DAVID FROST WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY IN MAURITIUS. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

David Frost survived a major final round scare to win the MCB Tour Championship by one stroke from Peter Fowler and Barry Lane, sealing his second victory at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius on a dramatic final day of the 2012 European Senior Tour season.

The South African began the final round with a four shot lead after opening rounds of 64 and 67, but had to birdie the final hole to cling on for victory, after a nervous stretch around the turn gave his rivals hope.

A triple bogey on the sixth hole and a double bogey on the 12^th had opened the door for 2011 Order of Merit winner Fowler, who had set the clubhouse target of ten under par 206 after closing with a 68.

His total score was matched by Lane who chipped in from the fringe on the last hole for an eagle and a final round 70, but after a gutsy four iron approach over the water landed just on the green, Frost pushed his own eagle attempt two feet past the pin before tapping in for a decisive closing birdie.

That mean he finished one shot clear of Australian Fowler and Englishman Lane on 11 under par 205, following a two over par final round of 74.

“That was a bit closer than I was hoping for,” he admitted. “It just shows you in this game, you have never won.

“The human factor came into play today. I hit one bad drive and then after that you feel the emotions. I’d been telling everyone it was a three day golf tournament, not two.

“I played OK in spurts today but I let the guys back into the tournament. Luckily I played a great shot on the last hole and it was a relief to get the win in the end.”

Frost had started the day confidently enough, extending his lead at one point to six shots with birdies on the first and second holes, but he ran into trouble on the 522 yard par five sixth hole when he found the trees with his drive, and then did the same again after going back to the tee.

With another bad lie, he could only hack out and eventually racked up a triple bogey eighth but managed to steady himself with a run of three pars and a birdie on the tenth.

However he dropped another shot on the 11^th before another loose drive on the 12^th hole resulted in a double bogey, as Fowler, who had started the day seven shots behind Frost, drew level for the first time when he birdied the 15^th hole, after also previously picking up shots on the sixth, tenth and 13^th holes. 

Frost then produced a miraculous, curling nine iron shot from the trees on the 15^th hole to set up a decisive birdie, before Fowler struck back with a birdie of his own on the 17^th.

Fowler then missed another birdie chance on the last before Frost’s vital eagle secured the win for the 53 year old, whose only other Senior Tour title was the former MCB Open over the Legend Course two years ago when he defeated Roger Chapman in a play-off. Frost also finished runner up to Tom Lehman in last year’s MCB Tour Championship, but it was to be his turn again this time.

“Winning never gets old,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to win twice on the US Champions Tour this season and it is great to add this title to it.

“It was an exciting day – not the way I would have liked it to have gone, obviously - but an exciting day for the tournament. There was a bit of nerve in there from the spectators as well as me.

“I like this golf course though. I can read the greens well and I can’t wait to get back here next year and try to forget about the one I’ve just played!”

Lane’s third runner-up finish of the season, to sit alongside his victory in the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open, meant he ended the year second position on the Senior Tour Order of Merit, just as he did in 2011.

“David let us in really with a triple and a double, but I missed an awful lot of putts today,” said the former Ryder Cup player. “I was always battling but my double bogey on the eighth was a shame but then I chipped in on the last.

“That’s the game though and I tried my best. It’s great to finish second here, second in the Order of Merit, and it’s been another great year.”

Fowler, who last year sealed the John Jacobs Trophy in Mauritius after holding off Lane’s challenge in the Order of Merit, was disappointed not to have birdied the last, but he did preserve fourth place on the Order of Merit, which had been under threat from Englishman Paul Wesselingh. 

“It’s been a long season and I was glad I could keep going,” he said. “Frosty was way out in front and I just had a bit too much to do. He had a few hiccups today which gave us a chance, but I should have birdied the last. I never thought about winning at all as he was so far clear but it’s been another good year though.”

The man who succeeds him as the Order of Merit winner, Double Senior Major Champion Roger Chapman, signed off his superb 2012 season with a two over par 74 to finish in tied 15^th position on three under par.

Chapman, winner of the US Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and the US Senior Open, was presented with the John Jacobs Trophy, becoming the first Englishman to win it since Carl Mason in 2007.

Frenchman Marc Farry, who is attached to Constance Belle Mare Plage and who helped attract the Senior Tour to the island, closed with a 69 to finish in tied sixth position on six under par 210, his best performance in the tournament.

Wesselingh, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, had briefly threatened the top of the leaderboard, but a closing 72 meant he shared sixth position with Farry and fellow Englishman Kevin Spurgeon (70), to end the year in fifth place on the Order of Merit.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 216 (3x72)
205 D Frost (RSA) 64 67 74

206 P Fowler (Aus) 69 69 68, B Lane (Eng) 70 66 70

208 C Williams (RSA) 71 68 69

209 J Bruner (USA) 69 68 72

210 K Spurgeon (Eng) 71 69 70, P Wesselingh (Eng) 73 65 72, M Farry (Fra) 71 70 69

211 T Thelen (USA) 68 67 76, B Cameron (Eng) 72 68 71, A Franco (Par) 70 70 71

212 T Lehman (USA) 71 69 72, D Smyth (Irl) 71 70 71, G Ryall (Eng) 69 72 71

213 A Murray (Eng) 71 70 72, R Chapman (Eng) 70 69 74

214 J Quiros (Esp) 71 71 72, S Tinning (Den) 72 72 70, J Gould (Eng) 69 71 74

215 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 73 71 71

216 R Drummond (Sco) 70 75 71, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 67 73 76, M Martin (Esp) 73 72 71, A Sherborne (Eng) 73 72 71

217 M Mouland (Wal) 71 73 73, S Cipa (Eng) 76 69 72, T Price (Aus) 73 70 74

218 N Job (Eng) 75 70 73, G Manson (Aut) 75 73 70, A Fernandez (Chi) 74 70 74

219 G Norquist (USA) 75 77 67, P Golding (Eng) 71 77 71

220 B Longmuir (Sco) 73 74 73, M Harwood (Aus) 78 72 70, G Ralph (Eng) 75 77 68

221 G Banister (Aus) 74 73 74, D Russell (Eng) 75 75 71, S McAllister (Sco) 78 75 68, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 75 73 73

222 A Forsbrand (Swe) 80 70 72

224 P Smith (Sco) 75 75 74

225 J Harrison (Eng) 75 77 73

226 J Sallat (Fra) 79 77 70

227 D Cambridge (Jam) 77 73 77, J Hall (Eng) 76 76 75, M Cunning (USA) 84 69 74, D Mast (USA) 77 77 73

233 M Belsham (Eng) 79 76 78

WD I Espitalier Noel (am) (Mus) 88 WD

 

 

GREAT SCOTT! JAMIESON SCORES FIRST WIN ON EUROPEAN TOUR

AND THE WINNER IS .... SCOTT JAMIESON, with the Nelson Mandela Championship Trophy at Royal Durban Golf Club. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c).

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Glasgow's Scott Jamieson held off England's Steve Webster and Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva in a play-off to land his first European Tour title at The Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa.
The 29 year old, winner of the Scottish boys' stroke-play championship in 2001 when Lanark GC was the venue, started the day six shots off the pace but, with the event shortened to a 36-hole sprint after heavy rain washed out the first two days, a blistering 57 on the shortened Royal Durban lay-out proved good enough for a share of top spot once all 156 players had finished.
Webster and De La Riva had already set the clubhouse benchmark at seven under par with rounds of 60 and 61 before Jamieson finished, and all three then had to wait several hours to see if any of the afternoon starters would surpass them.
First round joint-leader Tim Clark looked most likely when he followed eight straight pars with an approach to two feet at the ninth and then holed a putt from the fringe at the tenth to make it a four-way tie at the top.
But needing to birdie one of the last two for an outright win the South African bunkered his approach to the 17th, went over the green and three-putted from there for a double bogey 6.
The first play-off trip back down the 18th saw three whittled down to two as De La Riva bogeyed, and when Webster found trouble down the left on the second extra hole back-to-back pars handed Jamieson the title.
“To get your name on any European trophy is a fantastic achievement,” said Jamieson, “but it’s a little more special when it’s for someone like Nelson [Mandela].
“At the start of the day I probably didn’t think I would be standing here holding the trophy; but I knew I needed a fast start and I was lucky enough to get that.
“It's amazing. I've got to give a special mention to my wife Natalie, my family, Nike golf, everyone at my home club of Cathkin Braes in Scotland and all the other people who have ever helped me get to his point. I couldn't have done it without them."
De la Riva, who less than a fortnight ago came through The European Tour Qualifying School for the first time in ten years, was left to rue not only failing to get up and down from a bunker in the play-off, but also a closing bogey in his second round 61.
Webster, who had the second of his two victories in Portugal more than five years ago, almost clinched victory on the first extra hole when his 30 foot birdie putt came up just short.
Next time round, though, he could not recover from pulling his drive into thick rough.
Earlier, Jamieson could have won it outright on the 305 yard ninth - his last - when he drove the green, but just missed a 12 foot eagle attempt.
He had earlier gone to the turn in a five under 26 that included four birdie 2s on the modified par-65 Royal Durban Course, which will prevent his scores entering the record books.
“I’ve had a nice steady progress the last four years,” he added. “This is my third season on The European Tour, so to get off to a winning start is fantastic.
“I was pretty nervous [in the play-off] but that’s why we play – to get into that situation. Those guys would have been nervous too so it’s just who plays the best golf. You’ve just got to stand up and give it a go.”
Joint fourth a stroke behind were Clark, German Max Kieffer, Dane Morten Orum Madsen and England's Matthew Nixon.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES AND SCORECARDS ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

AUSSIE OPEN VICTORY AT 53 FOR PETER SENIOR AND LONG-HANDLED PUTTER

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ONEASIA TOUR
SYDNEY - Veteran Aussie Peter Senior gave his younger opponents a lesson in how to play in the wind on Sunday en-route to winning the Emirates Australian Open by a stroke at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney.

The 53-year-old, wielding a long-handled putter, shot rounds of 75, 68, 69 and an even-par 72 to finish the A$1.5 million OneAsia tournament at four under and claim his country's national open for a second time. 

He earned A$225,000 for the victory.

On a day fierce winds forced a suspension for over two hours and only six players broke par, Brendan Jones went one under to finish alone in second place. 

Cameron Percy (73) was a stroke further behind, followed by Kim Felton (72), Kieran Pratt (75) and Justin Rose (76).

"It was one of the toughest days I have seen on a golf course," said Senior, who first won the title in 1989 as a 30-year-old. 

"When the conditions are that tough, I feel that half the guys are out of the competition because they think it is going to be too difficult."

Although he now plays mostly on the U.S. Champions Tour, Senior has found his second wind since re-applying himself to the sport after taking a sabbatical. 

"I took quite a bit of time off between 42 and 48 and spent quite a bit of time at home," he said. "But I really felt like I wanted to play again. It is a game I still enjoy." 

That enjoyment has also brought success. 

Two years ago Senior won the Australian PGA Championship for a third time, and he will be back at Palmer Coolum Resort next week to have another crack at the title, which is the final event on both OneAsia and the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Senior had his son, Mitch, on his bag on Sunday, and dedicated the victory to him.

"We’ve been close over in America. We’ve lost three play-offs and come pretty close in a few other events. Just once I would like to say, 'well done mate, we’ve done it'." 

Nevertheless, Senior did not expect to be winning at his age.

"I’m getting a bit long in the tooth now. If the conditions were good, the really good players would have shone this week. These are the conditions I thrive in where I just battle it out." 

John Senden, who took an overnight lead into the final round for a second year in a row, had a miserable time on Sunday, dropping two shots on the first hole and finishing with an 82.

Playing partner Rose, the world number four and top ranked player in the field, saw his chances slip away with two bogeys in the last three holes..

Still, Senior praised his younger competitor.

"Justin Rose and the other guys are great players. Not for one moment do I think I am as good as those guys," he said.

"Winning golf tournaments, you need to have a good week at the right time. I’ve had a good week where I got it done."

Senior wasn't the only veteran to shine on Sunday. American Tom Watson, whose five Open Championships are testimony to the 63-year-old's ability to play in tough conditions, shot a 69 for the round of the day on what is likely to be his last tournament in Australia.

OneAsia moves to Coolum next week with the Order of Merit title still up for grabs.

South Korean Kim Bi-o leads the race, but Australians Nick Cullen or Matthew Griffin could snatch it with a second victory of the season.

 

  FINAL TOTALS

  Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 6,879

284 Peter Senior (AUS) 75-68-69-72.

285 Brendan Jones (AUS) 68-71-75-71.

286 Cameron Percy (AUS) 72-69-72-73.

287 Kim Felton (AUS) 68-75-72-72, Kieran Pratt (AUS) 71-71-70-75, Justin Rose (ENG) 68-73-70-76.

288 Michael Hendry (NZL) 72-71-74-71, Scott Gardiner (AUS) 76-71-68-73, Stuart Appleby (AUS) 70-73-70-75.

289 Brett Rumford (AUS) 73-69-75-72, Nick O'Hern (AUS) 71-73-73-72, Rodney Pampling (AUS) 74-69-73-73, Matthew Jones (AUS) 71-72-69-77.

290 Cameron Smith (AUS) (am) 72-74-69-75, Steven Jones (AUS) 73-68-73-76, Mathew Goggin (AUS) 71-70-73-76, Adam Scott (AUS) 72-71-71-76.

291 Nick Flanagan (AUS) 69-76-74-72, Jamie Arnold (AUS) 72-72-72-75, Matthew Stieger (AUS) 73-71-71-76, Nick Cullen (AUS) 70-70-74-77, John Senden (AUS) 66-73-70-82.

292 Alistair Presnell (AUS) 75-72-71-74, Matthew Griffin (AUS) 75-69-71-77, Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 74-71-70-77, Greg Chalmers (AUS) 71-75-69-77, Matthew Millar (AUS) 74-71-69-78.

293 Tom Watson (USA) 78-68-78-69, Stephen Allan (AUS) 69-73-80-71, James McLean (AUS) 72-72-75-74, Rory Hie (INA) 73-69-75-76, David Bransdon (AUS) 74-73-70-76, Timothy Wood (AUS) 70-74-72-77, Liang Wenchong (CHN) 73-71-72-77, Scott Laycock (AUS) 76-69-71-77, Stephen Leaney (AUS) 75-69-71-78, Andre Stolz (AUS) 72-71-71-79, Kyle Stanley (USA) 72-71-70-80.

294 Craig Parry (AUS) 75-73-75-71, Kalem Richardson (AUS) 78-70-74-72, Gareth Paddison (NZL) 68-73-74-79.

295 Matthew Ballard (AUS) 72-72-80-71, Stephen Dartnall (AUS) 76-72-74-73, Brett Rankin (AUS) 74-72-74-75, Jason Norris (AUS) 74-71-74-76, Peter O'Malley (AUS) 70-78-71-76, Marc Leishman (AUS) 70-72-76-77, Richard Green (AUS) 68-73-76-78, James Nitties (AUS) 77-71-69-78, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 69-69-76-81.

296 Nathan Green (AUS) 73-72-77-74, Aron Price (AUS) 72-74-75-75, Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 72-73-75-76, Paul Spargo (AUS) 70-73-76-77, Leigh McKechnie (AUS) 72-71-75-78, Clint Rice (AUS) 77-71-70-78, Damon Welsford (AUS) 72-76-70-78, Josh Geary (NZL) 70-73-71-82.

297 Kurt Barnes (AUS) 71-76-78-72, Matthew Giles (AUS) 76-71-77-73.

298 Ashley Hall (AUS) 79-68-71-80.

299 Jake Higginbottom (AUS) 74-73-77-75, Mahal Pearce (NZL) 70-77-73-79, Daniel Popovic (AUS) 71-73-72-83.

301 Peter Lonard (AUS) 71-73-78-79, Gavin Flint (AUS) 79-69-74-79.

302 Andrew Kelly (AUS) 71-77-74-80, Zhou Guo-wu (CHN) 74-73-74-81.

303 Won Joon Lee (AUS) 74-70-75-84.

 

SCHWARTZEL WINS BY ELEVEN STROKES IN THAILAND

NEWS RELEASE FROM ONE ASIA TOUR

Chonburi, Thailand: South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel romped to a commanding 11-shot victory at the US$1 million Thailand Championship today to end a frustrating 20-month title drought since winning the 2011 Masters Tournament.

The 28-year-old Schwartzel completed an imperious start-to-finish victory at Amata Spring Country Club with a final round of seven-under-par 65, which made up for last year’s runner-up result where he ended seven shots behind inaugural champion Lee Westwood.

Schwartzel’s winning total of 25-under-par 263 total saw him pick up his ninth career victory and first on the Asian Tour. He won US$158,500.

Thai youngster Thitiphun Chuayprakong shot a closing 70 finish tied second with reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson, who closed with a superb 65 for a 14-under-par 274 aggregate.

Spaniard Sergio Garcia came in fourth after a 70, followed by Korea’s Park Hyun-bin, whose fifth place performance following a 68 earned him his Asian Tour card for 2013.

“It’s been a great week. We had such a good time last year and obviously I came in second. I do know how the guys feel like as I had the same feeling last year when I lost to Lee by quite a margin. I played some solid golf. I’m very happy,” said Schwartzel, whose 11-shot winning margin was the third highest on the Asian Tour.

Such was his great form that the South African dropped only one bogey all week, at the ninth hole on Saturday. 

Leading by five overnight, he did not allow his rivals to get close to him as he turned in 32 for a 10-shot advantage before easing home with three more birdies on the back nine in front of large galleries. After saving par from six feet at the last hole, Schwartzel raised both arms in jubilation and relief.
“It’s always hard when you’ve won such a big tournament (and not win again). You go on a high and you feel that you can win all the ones that you play in. I came close a few times," said Schwartzel who played in Thailand in preference to the Nelson Mandela Championship at Durban in his homeland. 

"Winning is not as easy as everyone makes it out to be. You know, it’s been quite hard work and it’s been a difficult year especially in the middle (when he was injured). It’s nice to put things in place and get the win that I’ve been looking for a while."

“I always had it in the bag. Making one bogey the whole week pretty much sums up how I played. I played pretty flawless golf. After nine holes when I made the birdie on nine, I had a pretty decent cushion. I still kept doing what I was doing, hitting the shots. Walking down 14 and 15, you kind of know it’s over. But it’s still nice to hit good shots and hit the right shots and make more birdies.”

The 20-year-old Thitiphun held his head high against the stars of the game after enjoying his best Asian Tour finish yet alongside Watson, earning US$84,750.

He fired an eagle, three birdies and three bogeys playing in the last group for the second straight day.

“I’m so proud with how I played because I played with one of the best players in the world. The way he (Schwartzel) handles himself was fantastic. This is a great feeling for me,” said the ever-smiling Thitiphun.

“I’m happy with my round but slightly disappointed I didn’t finish second alone. I’m going to play with more confidence now and this will be an inspiration for me because I want to win on the Asian Tour.”

Left-hander Watson saved his best for last with a seven-birdie round as he thrilled the galleries with his “Bubba Golf”, attacking the pins with ease at Amata Spring.

“I didn’t have my best stuff on Friday and Saturday and made a lot of mistakes. Schwartzel played pretty good and my best stuff probably wouldn’t be as good," said Watson. 

"It would have given me a chance to scare him but I didn’t have my best in the previous two days. I had no bogeys and no mistakes today and somehow it came out to a seven-under."

Europe’s Ryder Cup star Garcia saluted Schwartzel for his commanding performance. “It is funny how Charl and Lee can shoot 20-under in the last two years because it doesn’t feel like you can shoot that kind of scores on this golf course. 

"They both deserved their wins but I can’t be disappointed with the way the week went for me,” said the Spaniard, who will play the Iskandar Johor Open, the Asian Tour’s season-finale in Malaysia next week.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72) Yardage: 7,453 

263 Charl SCHWARTZEL (RSA) 65-65-68-65.

274 Bubba WATSON (USA) 68-70-71-65, Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA) 66-67-71-70.

276 Sergio GARCIA (ESP) 69-69-68-70.

277 PARK Hyun-bin (SKOR) 68-74-67-68.

278 Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 68-71-72-67, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 69-72-70-67, Simon DYSON (ENG) 72-71-67-68, Scott HEND (AUS) 70-68-69-71, Daniel CHOPRA (SWE) 67-67-69-75.

279 Jonathan MOORE (USA) 73-72-67-67, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 70-73-67-69, Ryo ISHIKAWA (JPN) 70-66-73-70, Lee WESTWOOD (ENG) 70-69-70-70.

280 Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 70-69-70-71, Nicolas COLSAERTS (BEL) 72-67-70-71.

281 Kalle SAMOOJA (FIN) 71-72-72-66, Yoshinobu TSUKADA (JPN) 70-72-72-67, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 69-71-72-69, Darren BECK (AUS) 69-70-72-70. 

282 Shiv KAPUR (IND) 73-71-72-66.

  
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A WELSH 1-2 IN VIRGIN ATLANTIC PGA NATIONAL PRO-AM FINALE IN MEXICO

FROM THE PGA WEBSITE
The two Welsh representatives contesting the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am Championship in Mexico turned the final round into a dramatic domestic showdown that was not resolved until the last hole.
And fittingly, given the pro-am format of the competition, which is also supported by SkyCaddie and BMW, it was the amateur partnering Vale of Llangollen assistant PGA professional Lee Rooke who delivered the coup de grace.
Nick Jones, a 40-year-old from Wrexham, had picked up on the last hole of the Jungle loop of the Jack Nicklaus-designed Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort, Cancun, in the first of the grand final's two rounds.
When it came to the crunch, however, the eight-handicapper kept his cool in the Mexican sunshine to repel the challenge of the Parc Golf Academy, Newport.
Unfazed by the water that guards the par five hole's green, Jones executed a superb nine-iron approach shot and followed up with a putt that left him with a tap-in nett birdie for a six-under-par round of 66 and one stroke victory.
As well as clinching the trophy and the £5,000 cheque on offer to the winning PGA professional, Jones's approach and nerveless putt typified the standard of golf from both pairs that had graced the tournament.
That was especially the case during the tense finale after the Vale of Llangollen had put daylight between themselves and their compatriots at the turn.
Level with Parc on seven-under at the start of play, Rooke and Jones birdied the last four holes of the Dunes loop to establish a three-stroke lead.
However, when Dinsdale, capitalising on a sprinkler head preventing his over-cooked approach from trundling into a bunker, birdied the par four 15th, the deficit had been wiped out.
Thereafter Dinsdale and Rooke traded pressure shots. Parity remained following the par three 16th but when both found sand with their tee shots at the par four 17th, the trophy looked destined for Llangollen.
Rooke, benefitting from an easier lie and more comfortable stance, drilled his escape to within 12 feet. By contrast, Dinsdale, his ball marooned under the lip of the bunker, left his 50 yards short. His approach, however, was five feet shy of being immaculate.
And so to the last where, despite Dinsdale and Rooke both reaching the green in three, it fell to the latter's amateur partner to decide the destiny of Europe's largest pro-am.
“Given that it was a pro-am, I think it's appropriate an amateur like Nick should settle it," said a grateful Rooke.
"He played superbly throughout and I certainly relied on him in the first round. It was more of a team effort today - it had to be because Richard is a fine golfer.
"I hadn't played him before but I had been told that's he's a tough opponent and he certainly proved it. Even when we went three strokes clear, I knew he would make us work for our win."
That win is the largest and most prestigious of Rooke's career and follows him earning £4,000 after finishing runner up to defending champion Hugo Santos in the UniCredit 2012 PGA Professional Championship of Europe in late September.
Furthermore, it marks a happy return to the Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort for him.
"I came here for my honeymoon seven years ago," revealed Rooke, whose wife Lucy is due to give birth to the couple's first child in May.
Inevitably Rooke's victory spelt disappointment for Dinsdale, not least because it stopped him and his club from becoming the first to win the trophy twice.
Typically, though, Dinsdale, who won the event in 2006, was magnanimous in defeat.
"It was very tense and we put the squeeze on them," he said. "But fair dos, they responded really well. Obviously I'm disappointed but it's a consolation the trophy has ended up in Wales."
Dinsdale and the Parc Golf Academy were not alone in becoming the first player and club from missing out on winning the event for a second time.
Martyn Thomson, the head PGA professional at Parkstone Golf Club, Dorset and winner in 2004, had to settle for third place after he and his amateur partner, Grant Batchelor, posted a five-under-par two-round total of 139.
Three strokes back were Lee Fickling and Richard Oughton, PGA professional and amateur respectively from Bush Hill Park Golf Club, Middlesex; while the pairs from the Forest of Arden, Warwickshire, and Disley Golf Club, Cheshire, were the only others in the 16-strong field to break par.
Eastwood's Stuart Wilson and amateur David Dickson finished T9 on 148 (71-77) with Stuart earning £1,125.
Inverness Golf Club's Mel Douglas and Garry Tyronney (amateur) finished 15th with scores of 80 and 77 for 157. Mel earned £550. 


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O'HAIR AND PERRY LEAD US PGA TOUR TEAM EVENT

FROM THE CBS SPORTS.COM WEBSITE
NAPLES, Florida — Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair took a two-stroke lead in the Franklin Templeton Shootout on Saturday, birdieing the final six holes in better-ball play for an 11-under 61.
Perry and O'Hair were 19 under overall, two strokes ahead of first-round leaders Davis Love III and Brandt Snedeker at Tiburon Golf Club. Love and Snedeker had a 65.
Jason Dufner and Vijay Singh, Stewart Cink and Carl Pettersson, and Charles Howell III and Rory Sabbatini were tied for third at 15 under in the round delayed by heavy rain and wind for 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Defending champions Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele shot a 64 to get to 13 under.
The 12 two-man teams will play a scramble Sunday. The winners will split $750,000.

SATURDAY SCOREBOARD
 Tiburton Golf Club.
Par 72. Yardage: 7,288
Second Round (better ball)
Sean O'Hair and Kenny Perry 64-61 -125Davis Love III and Brandt Snedeker 62-65 -127
Charles Howell III and Rory Sabbatini 66-63 -129
Jason Dufner and Vijay Singh 66-63 -129
Stewart Cink and Carl Pettersson 67-62 -129
Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker 68-63 -131
Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele 67-64 -131
Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter 67-65 -132
Bud Cauley and Rickie Fowler 66-67 -133
Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank 70-67 -137
Fredrik Jacobson and Greg Norman 72-68 -140
Mark Calcavecchia and Mike Weir 70-71 -141

TOM WATSON WOULD LIKE TO BE US RYDER CUP CAPTAIN AT GLENEAGLES

FROM THE SKY SPORTS.COM WEBSITE

Tom Watson has revealed that he is keen to captain the American Ryder Cup team in the 2014 contest at Gleneagles.

The 63-year-old was the winning captain in the 1993 edition at The Belfry, and he would relish the challenge of trying to prise the trophy from Europe's grasp once again.
After closing with a 69 to finish five over par at the Australian Open in Sydney, the eight-time major winner said: "It would be cool to be Ryder Cup captain again.
"It would be a great honour if I got tapped on the shoulder. I know that '93 was the last time I've been to a Ryder Cup.
"I would like to go back as captain, that would be cool."
Watson denied he had been approached over the prospect of succeeding Davis Love III, who was heavily criticised in the US following Europe's dramatic final-day comeback victory at Medinah in September.
Team USA have not had a repeat captain since Jack Nicklaus led the side for a second time in 1987, when Europe won for the first time on American soil at Nicklaus's Muirfield Village in Ohio.
+Four of Watson's five Open wins have been in Scotland - Carnoustie (1975), Turnberry (1977), Muirfield (1980) and Royal Troon (1982). He has also won the Senior Open three times on Scottish linkes - at Turnberry (2003), Royal Aberdeen (2005) and  Muirfield (2007).