TINNING IS GREAT DANE IN ENGLISH SENIORS OPEN

REPORT BY EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Denmark’s Steen Tinning needed every ounce of his renowned endurance in securing a second victory in his rookie season at the English Senior Open, overcoming a tenacious Santiago Luna to move top of the Order of Merit with three events of the season remaining.

Tinning, who started the day with a two shot lead over the Spaniard after a blistering 63 on Saturday, came from two shots down with three holes to play as consecutive birdies from the 16th saw the Copenhagen native sign for a five under par 67 on Sunday, good enough for a 17 under par 199 total and a one shot victory over the determined Luna (66) at Rockliffe Hall in County Durham. 

The winner’s cheque for €35,868 sees Tinning, who is known for competing in ironman endurance races, move more than €10,000 clear of England’s Paul Wesselingh in the race for the John Jacobs Trophy as the season nears its denouement as he chases not only the Rookie of the Year but the revered title, European Senior Tour Number One.

But it could have all been very different. 

As more than 2,000 spectators poured into Rockliffe Hall for the climax of the English Senior Open, returning to the schedule this week after a six year absence, the sun shone as Tinning and Luna put on some red-hot entertainment on Sunday as the lead changed hands countless times.

After trading blows on an intriguing front nine, where Tinning was caught for the first time after Luna eagled the long seventh, the Dane eagled the 12th for the third day running but that still did not prove conclusive. 

Luna birdied the 13th to move back alongside Tinning before surging into the lead for the first time as Tinning bogeyed the short 14th.

That lead was extended to two after the Madrid man birdied the 15th, but when Tinning made successive gains from the 16th – as Luna could only bogey the par four 17th – a two-putt par at the last was enough for a memorable victory. 

“It was up and down all day,” said Tinning, who becomes the first rookie to win twice on the European Senior Tour since Boonchu Ruangkit in 2010 after also prevailing at August’s Berenberg Masters.

“Santi seemed to make every putt he looked at – he played really well from tee to green all day. 

“When I fell two shots behind I felt like it might just slip out of my hands. I had to just play my own game and give myself chances to make birdie and fortunately I got a couple.

“At 17 I was not comfortable with my driver so I nailed a three wood and left myself 195 to the pin. I hit the four iron of the year to six feet  to make birdie and that put a bit of pressure on Santi. 

“I had a few nerves over the putts on 18 but I kept telling myself I had a putt to win. 30 minutes before that I never felt I was ever going to get a putt to win the tournament so it is a great feeling.” 

Tinning will celebrate his 51st birthday on Monday and a move to the top of the Order of Merit was his early present – something he credits in no small part to his mental and physical strength. 

“I could not have predicted being top coming into this season,” Tinning continued. “My iron man training and competition has a lot to do with how my mind works on a course. I try to challenge myself all of the game.

“This was proof my mind never lets up. That was just good enough to see me through. It is an awesome feeling.”

Luna, meanwhile, who was also chasing the second victory of his rookie campaign after triumphing at the SSE Scottish Senior Open in August, was philosophical after narrowly missing out in the north east of England. 

“It was a great day for me, but there has to be only one winner,” Luna reflected. “Steen played fantastic in the closing holes with a birdie, birdie, par finish.

“I only made on bad shot today, on 17, and I just couldn’t recover that so late but this was a great week and I will be back at Rockliffe Hall for sure next time.” 

Another rookie in England’s Paul Eales finished alone in third after a six under par 66 on Sunday left him four shots off the top, while Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin captured his sixth top ten in his last seven starts on the Senior Tour in closing three shots further back on ten under par.

  FINAL TOTALS

  Par 216 (3x72)

199 S Tinning (Den) 69 63 67

200 S Luna (Esp) 67 67 66

203 P Eales (Eng) 70 67 66

206 M Martin (Esp) 70 66 70

207 P Wesselingh (Eng) 70 70 67, A Oldcorn (Sco) 70 68 69, D Russell (Eng) 68 69 70, G Manson (Aut) 70 67 70

209 C Williams (RSA) 69 70 70, G Emerson (Eng) 70 72 67

210 M Cunning (USA) 70 71 69, J Quiros (Esp) 69 73 68, J Carriles (Esp) 67 69 74

211 P Golding (Eng) 70 68 73,

212 P Fowler (Aus) 75 69 68,

213 W Grant (Eng) 69 73 71, R Drummond (Sco) 71 70 72,

214 M James (Eng) 70 73 71, R Gibson (Can) 72 71 71, B Lane (Eng) 71 72 71, G Norquist (USA) 70 72 72, P Mitchell (Eng) 66 76 72, M Farry (Fra) 72 73 69, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 72 72 70,

215 H Buhrmann (RSA) 76 68 71, P Curry (Eng) 74 71 70, J Harrison (Eng) 75 71 69,

216 D Smyth (Irl) 73 72 71, L Carbonetti (Arg) 72 75 69, P Walton (Irl) 73 70 73, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 73 73 70,

217 D Hospital (Esp) 71 72 74, J Rivero (Esp) 72 76 69,

218 A Fernandez (Chi) 72 75 71, M Harwood (Aus) 70 70 78, J Lindberg  (Swe) 74 72 72, M McLean (Eng) 76 73 69, B Cameron (Eng) 75 72 71, G Brand (Eng) 67 75 76,

219 S Cipa (Eng) 73 76 70, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 70 73 76, T Thelen (USA) 74 74 71, G Bell (Eng) 70 77 72, J Laforce (Can) 72 74 73, A Franco (Par) 73 74 72,

220 A Sherborne (Eng) 77 74 69, R Roper (Eng) 75 73 72,

221 T Price (Aus) 70 80 71, N Job (Eng) 73 74 74, M Wharton (Eng) 72 77 72, S Brown (Eng) 73 73 75,

222 P Linhart (Esp) 74 75 73, B Longmuir (Sco) 72 76 74, K Spurgeon (Eng) 72 73 77, H Carbonetti (Arg) 74 73 75, S Bennett (Eng) 78 73 71,

223 D O'Sullivan (Irl) 74 77 72, J Gould (Eng) 81 74 68, J Bruner (USA) 76 76 71, D Durnian (Eng) 74 75 74, G Ryall (Eng) 75 74 74, S McAllister (Sco) 74 75 74,

224 D James (Sco) 73 73 78,

225 P Jonas (Can) 75 75 75, T Charnley (Eng) 77 70 78, P Way (Eng) 74 79 72, B Lincoln (RSA) 77 72 76,

226 M Belsham (Eng) 74 76 76, G Ralph (Eng) 71 77 78, D Westermark (Swe) 78 72 76,

228 R Thompson (USA) 79 76 73,

236 G Banister (Aus) 80 79 77,

 

NORTH PIP NORTH-EAST FOR INTER-DISTRICT TITLE AT DEESIDE

North won the inter-district men's team triangular match at Deeside Golf Club today.
They totalled 720 under a foursomes-singles format, finishing three strokes ahead of hosts North-east (723) with Angus third on 739.
North and North-east were level after the morning foursomes stroke-play but, with Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) and Jeff Wright (Forres) returning scores of 68 and 69 respectively, North were able to edge clear.

SCOREBOARD
NORTH 720
Foursomes 215 (highest score discarded)
J Wright and J Shaw 69; B Fotheringham and K MacKay 73, L McAlpine and J Forbes 73 (D Thorburn and M Ferries 77).
Singles 505 (highest score discarded)
Fotheringham 68, Wright 69, Forbes 70, Shaw 70, McAlpine 74, MacKay 77, Ferries 77 (Thorburn 80).

NORTH-EAST 723
Foursomes 215
D Morrison and S Kiloh 70, K Duncan and L Anderson 70; J Duff and C Lamb 75 (S Lawrie and G Munro 76).
Singles 508
Duff 69, Lamb 72, Morrison 72, Munro 72, Anderson 73, Duncan 74, Kiloh 76 (Lawrie 76)

ANGUS 739
Foursomes 227
G Smith and C Smith 70, R Perry and M Lindsay 77, T Ogilvie and H Ogilvie 80 (D Elder and D Lawrence 86).
Singles 512
Lindsay 68, Smith 69, Elder 70, T Ogilvie 73, Perry 74, Smith 77, H Ogilvie 81 (K Bruce NR).

CRAIG ROSS OUTSTANDING IN LANARKSHIRE WIN AT BOTHWELL CASTLE

By WILLIE SHARPE
Lanarkshire made it four wins in a row in the West of Scotland Inter County A-league with a 6-2 win over Dumbartonshire today at Bothwell Castle Golf Club. 
Star performer was 20 years old Craig Ross of Kirkhill , who was six under par in his 4 and 3 victory over Steven Stewart of Dalmuir. 
Craig has had an outstanding season, finishing tied fourth in the SGU Men’s Order of Merit and reaching the semi-final of the Scottish Amateur at Blairgowrie.

Results:

Craig Ross (Kirkhill) bt Steven Stewart (Dalmuir) 4 and 3.

Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) bt Stephen Maxwell (Windyhill) 3 and 1.
Stewart Henderson (Hamilton) lost to Scott Moore (Clydebank)  2 and 1.

Colin Baird (Bothwell Castle) bt Paul Semple (Bearsden) 2 and 1

Robert Jenkins (Crow Wood) bt Alan Cosh (Bearsden) 2 and 1

Jamie Lamb (Lanark) bt James McEwan (Clydebank) 1 hole.

Ross Hinshelwood (East Kilbride) lost to Chris Prior (Bearsden) 1 hole.

Kenny Gallacher  (East Kilbride) bt Colin Colraine (Balmore)  2 holes.

Next week Lanarkshire A-Team  play Renfrewshire at Bonnyton.

Today's Youth Result   ( no details available )

Dumbartonshire     5    Lanarkshire  3

CONTINENT BEAT GB AND I 15-13 IN THRILLING SEVE TROPHY CLIMAX

Seve Trophy Report from European Tour Communications

Continental Europe ended a 13 year wait for victory in the Seve Trophy by Golf+ after defeating Great Britain & Ireland 15-13 in a thrilling encounter at Saint -Nom-La-Bretèche, on the outskirts of Paris.

José María Olazábal’s side won an absorbing singles session 6-4, with Francesco Molinari taking the anchor role as he did for the Spaniard in The Ryder Cup at Medinah last year.

 On that occasion he claimed a half point against Tiger Woods as Europe defeated the United States, but the Italian went one better against Chris Wood, holing a six foot birdie putt on the 16th to overcome the Englishman 3 and 2.

That sealed Continental Europe’s first victory in the biennial competition since the inaugural contest in 2000, and also ended Great Britain and Ireland’s winning streak of six in a row.

“This feels great for us,” said Molinari. “I played the last two before this, and it's never good to finish on the losing side, so we tried really hard. It was funny yesterday when Olazábal was reading the list, I kind of knew I was going to be last, but I was waiting every name, hoping to hear mine, and I didn't until the tenth spot.

“I tried to stay away from the leaderboards as much as possible today, but then obviously you see everyone coming up to your match and watching you.  I tried not to do the maths, but I realised that I needed a half a point, so I wasn't going to hit my putt too firm obviously on the 16^th.  But it's good to finish in style.”

Great Britain and Ireland captain Sam Torrance had been forced to send his team out without the injured Simon Khan, whose back problem meant he could not face Molinari in the original final match up.

Thomas Björn was the man to miss out in turn for the Continental European’s, the Dane having gallantly volunteered to be ‘in the envelope’ as the nominated player in order to allow some of his younger teammates chance to gain more match play experience.

Those youngsters duly delivered, with home favourite Grégory Bourdy becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to win five points out of five, some sumptuous iron play helping him overcome Scott Jamieson 4 and 3.

Joost Luiten had been chasing the same record but Tommy Fleetwood upset the form book to claim his first point of the week with a 3 and 2 victory over the Dutchman.

Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, another of Olazábal’s heroes from Medinah, held his nerve from five feet on the final green to see off Paul Casey following an epic duel, while Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño halved the opening singles match with Jamie Donaldson. Marc Warren defeated Thorbjørn Olesen 4 and 3 to square the contest again at 12-12, but by then Continental Europe had full control of three of the last four ties.

Miguel Angel Jiménez had four birdies in his first six holes as he beat David Lynn 6 and 4, with the Englishman struggling due to illness.

Matteo Manassero delivered a short-game masterclass to see off Stephen Gallacher 3 and 2 to take Europe to the 14-point mark, before Paul Lawrie produced a magnificent chip of his own on the 17th to set up a 2 and 1 victory over Mikko Ilonen, closing the overall score to 14-13.

That meant the contest went down to the final match, where Molinari was two up with three holes to play against Wood – who had dropped down the order after Khan’s withdrawal.

And cheered on by Olazábal, just as he was at Medinah 12 months ago, Molinari was embraced by his captain and teammates, as Continental Europe clinched an historic win, with the Italian holding his nerve on the 16^th green.

Olazábal said: “Obviously I’m very emotional right now because this has been a tough day with everything going to the last match. But the boys played really well and I’m very, very happy to have won the Seve Trophy again after 13 years.

“We know that starting the singles session all level, it was going to go down to the last three or four matches at least.  We had a pretty good start, then Great Britain and Ireland took over and we started to see some red on the board. 

“But the boys kept their composure and played really well, especially in those last few matches, they played really great golf and we managed to come out on top.  I also think the first two matches were crucial, to get a point and a half out of those two, it was big.

“This is obviously a team contest but I must make special mention of Grégory Bourdy who was absolutely fantastic, especially playing in his home country and in front of his own people. The way he played, being a rookie, he did extraordinary well.  Everyone contributed, but Greg did it in a big way.”

Torrance, who led Europe to Ryder Cup victory in 2002 at The Belfry, paid tribute to the winning side as well as his own battling players.

The Scot said: “The Continental European side were very strong and congratulations to them on the victory. We gave it everything, but we just came up short.

“It was always in the balance and although it got a bit difficult for us midway through the afternoon, we never gave up and fought back. Chris Wood holed a great putt on the 15th to keep his match going and give us hope, but it was a fantastic birdie by Francesco Molinari on the 16th to finish it off. 

“So well done to José María and his team, and I think it’s also fair to say that golf was the winner as it was a wonderful event. The taste of defeat is never great, but we will learn from it and come back stronger next time.”

+The winning Continent of Europe team earned 100,000 Euros each. The GB and I team earned 75,000 Euros apiece

SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER / DIMANCHE 6 OCTOBRE 2013
SINGLES MATCHES RESULTS
	CONTINENTAL EUROPE	PTS	GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND	PTS
	Gonzalo FDEZ-CASTAÑO (ESP)	½	Jamie DONALDSON (WAL)	½
	Match halved		Match halved
	Nicolas COLSAERTS (BEL)	1	Paul CASEY (ENG)
	Won by 1 hole
	Joost LUITEN (NED)		Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG)	1
			Won by 3 and 2
	Thomas BJØRN (DEN)	½	Simon KHAN (ENG)	½
	Match halved		Match halved
	Grégory BOURDY (FRA)	1	Scott JAMIESON (SCO)
	Won by 4 and 3
	Thorbjørn OLESEN (DEN)		Marc WARREN (SCO)	1
			Won by 4 and 3
	Matteo MANASSERO (ITA)	1	Stephen GALLACHER (SCO)
	Won by 3 and 2
	Mikko ILONEN (FIN)		Paul LAWRIE (SCO)	1
			Won by 2 and 1
	Miguel Angel JIMÉNEZ (ESP)	1	David LYNN (ENG)
	Won by 6 and 4
	Francesco MOLINARI (ITA)	1	Chris WOOD (ENG)
	Won by 3 and 2
	SESSION TOTAL	6		4
	CONTINENTAL EUROPE	PTS	GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND	PTS
Daily Results	Thursday fourball	3 ½		1 ½
	Friday Fourball	2		3
	Saturday Greensome	2½		1 ½
	Saturday Foursome	1		3
	Sunday Singles	6		4
	MATCH STATUS	15		13

MORNING SCORES FROM MEN'S INTER-DISTRICT TEAM EVENT AT DEESIDE

N. EAST			ANGUS			NORTH
Name	Club	Score	Name	Club	Score	Name	Club	Score
John Duff	Newmachar	75	Raymond Perry	Monifieth	77	Jeff Wright	Forres	69
Chris Lamb	Newmachar		Mo Lindsay	Broughty		Jordan Shaw	Boat of Garten
David Morrison	Duff House	70	Gordon Smith	Downfield	70	Bryan Fotheringham	Inverness	73
Sam Kiloh	Portlethen		Craig Smith	Camperdown		Kieran MacKay	Inverness
Sean Lawrie	Portlethen	76	Tom Ogilvie	Monifieth	80	Dougie Thorburn	Thurso	77
Gordon Munro	Fraserburgh		Harry Ogilvie	Monifieth		Munro Ferries	Tain
Kevin Duncan	Cruden Bay	70	Danny Elder	Carnoustie	86	Lyle McAlpine	Royal Dornoch	73
Lewys Anderson	Deeside		Danny Lawrence	Balumbie Cst		John Forbes	Inverness
	Total	291		Total	313		Total	292
	Rejected score	76		Rejected score	86		Rejected score	77
	Sub Total	215		Sub Total	227		Sub Total	215
Chris Lamb	Newmachar		Raymond Perry	Monifieth		Jordan Shaw	Boat of Garten
John Duff	Newmachar		Mo Lindsay	Broughty Ferry		Jeff Wright	Forres
David Morrison	Duff House		Gordon Smith	Downfield		Bryan Fotheringham	Inverness
Sam Kiloh	Portlethen		Craig Smith	Camperdown		Kieran MacKay	Inverness
Sean Lawrie	Portlethen		Tom Ogilvie	Monifieth		Dougie Thorburn	Thurso
Gordon Munro	Fraserburgh		Harry Ogilvie	Monifieth		Munro Feries	Tain
Kevin Duncan	Cruden Bay		Danny Elder	Carnoustie		Lyle McAlpine	Royal Dornoch
Lewys Anderson	Deeside		Keith Bruce	Edzell		John Forbes	Inverness
	Total			Total			Total
	Rejected score			Rejected score			Rejected score
	Sub Total			Sub Total			Sub Total
	Team Total			Team Total			Team Total