STEPHEN MCALLISTER FINISHES FOURTH WITH FINAL 65

From Michael Gibbons

mgibbons@europeantour.com

Stephen McAllister fired a brilliant final round 65 to surge to a fourth place finish at the Senior Tour’s Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open.

The Paisley professional’s five under par effort matched the lowest round of the day of second placed Mark James as well as Sam Torrance, and saw the Scot finish fourth on eight under, four strokes behind American Tim Thelen.

McAllister looked to be falling out of the tournament as he reached the turn in level par, but a thrilling back nine of 30 saw him charge up the leaderboard and pocket £9,849 for his efforts at the Golf Club Bad Ragaz.

Torrance’s 65 saw him finish the week on five under, two shots behind eighth-placed Bill Longmuir but six ahead of Gordon Brand Jnr.

Sir Bob Charles and Gary Player continued to amaze the world of golf with their unbelievable levels of performance in Switzerland.

Charles’s first round 66 in Bad Ragaz saw the New Zealander better his age by a Senior Tour record of ten shots, while Player’s scores of 72-70-71 were a testament to the nine-time Major Champion’s fitness and competitive drive.

Charles added a 73 and a 72 to his remarkable first round to finish the week at one over par – two ahead of Player – and in a tie for 42nd place.

FULL REPORT

Tim Thelen’s Senior Tour dream continued with a second victory in just seven days at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open.

After holding off the challenge of Bernhard Langer, Peter Fowler, Barry Lane and Mark Mouland in Germany last week, the American resisted former Ryder Cup Captains Ian Woosnam and Mark James at the Golf Club Bad Ragaz to take home the €42,000 first prize.

“I could get used to this feeling,” said Thelen after signing for a final round of three under par 67 that gave him an 12 under total and secured a two-shot win over James, with Woosnam a further shot back in third.

“This is pretty amazing to win a second event in seven days. I played great again this week and to come out on top against another two of the game’s great players in Mark James and Ian Woosnam is very satisfying.”

Thelen took a three shot lead into the final round and looked to be cruising to victory with three birdies in his opening six holes. His cancelled out his bogey on the seventh by picking up a shot on the next hole, but dropped shots at the tenth and 12^th allowed Woosnam and James to chance to mount a final challenge.

Former Masters Champion Woosnam birdied the 15^th and 16^th to briefly get within a shot of Thelen, but it was James who provided the more serious challenge, as the Englishman picked up three shots in the last four holes to pile the pressure on Thelen.

But like last week, Thelen responded with emphatic positivity, birdieing the 15^th before a piercing seven iron to 15 feet enabled him to roll home a birdie two on the 17^th to give him a two shot lead coming down the last.

“I looked at the leaderboard on the 16h and saw I had a two shot lead,” said Thelen. “Then Mark birdied the last to cut the lead to one, so that seven iron on 17 really was a fabulous shot. Making that birdie putt was a big moment too because it gave me a cushion to play the last.”

Thelen made a comfortable par on the 18^th to put the seal on another memorable performance, before being congratulated by many of his fellow Senior Tour Members.

Among them, two genuine legends of the game – Sir Bob Charles and Gary Player – who continue to amaze the world of golf with their unbelievable levels of performance.

Charles’s first round 66 in Bad Ragaz saw the New Zealander better his age by a Senior Tour record of ten shots, while Player’s scores of 72-70-71 were a testament to the nine-time Major Champion’s fitness and competitive drive.

Charles added a 73 and a 72 to his remarkable first round to finish the week at one over par – two ahead of Player – and in a tie for 42nd place.

Thelen’s victories in last week’s Berenberg Bank Masters and now the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open have propelled him to second place in the Order of Merit.

Roger Chapman leads the way with €304,453, thanks in the main to his brilliant victory in the US Senior PGA Championship, but Thelen’s amazing form has seen him climb from 21^st to second in the space of seven days, with season’s earnings of €120,298.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 210 (3x70) Yardage 6183

198 T Thelen (USA) 66 65 67;

200 M James (Eng) 65 70 65;

201 I Woosnam (Wal) 68 66 67;

202 P Fowler (Aus) 66 69 67; D Smyth (Irl) 66 70 66; A Forsbrand (Swe) 69 67 66; S McAllister (Sco) 68 69 65;

203 P Wesselingh (Eng) 70 68 65; B Longmuir (Sco) 69 67 67;

204 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 69 67 68;

205 S Torrance (Sco) 69 71 65; C Williams (RSA) 68 66 71; R Gibson (Can) 68 69 68; M Harwood (Aus) 71 66 68; A Sherborne (Eng) 69 70 66;

206 M Cunning (USA) 68 66 72; G Manson (Aut) 67 72 67; G Banister (Aus) 72 65 69; M Farry (Fra) 69 68 69;

207 D O'Sullivan (Irl) 70 70 67; A Franco (Par) 72 69 66; B Cameron (Eng) 70 70 67;

208 J Bland (RSA) 66 71 71; P Mitchell (Eng) 68 69 71; Z Martinez (USA) 74 66 68; G Ralph (Eng) 71 71 66; M Belsham (Eng) 73 65 70; K Spurgeon (Eng) 68 72 68; G Cali (Ita) 69 70 69; D Russell (Eng) 64 77 67;

209 T Price (Aus) 68 68 73; G Norquist (USA) 70 69 70; D Cambridge (Jam) 72 68 69; M Kuramoto (Jpn) 70 69 70;

210 T Elliott (Aus) 70 68 72; D Merriman (Aus) 68 70 72; M Martin (Esp) 66 72 72; N Job (Eng) 69 71 70; J Gould (Eng) 77 66 67; S Cipa (Eng) 70 70 70; G Ryall (Eng) 70 69 71;

211 D Hospital (Esp) 67 71 73; B Charles (Nzl) 66 73 72; G Brand Jnr (Sco) 72 71 68; J Harrison (Eng) 71 68 72; J Quiros (Esp) 70 69 72;

212 A Fernandez (Chi) 69 73 70; J Bruner (USA) 72 70 70; C Mason (Eng) 69 72 71;

213 K Tomori (Jpn) 71 72 70; J Rhodes (Eng) 71 71 71; L Carbonetti (Arg) 71 74 68; G Player (RSA) 72 70 71; J Hall (Eng) 72 72 69; P Walton (Irl) 73 69 71;

214 S Van Vuuren (RSA) 74 69 71;

215 T Johnstone (Zim) 70 70 75; B Lincoln (RSA) 75 71 69;

216 C Rocca (Ita) 70 68 78; B Ruangkit (Tha) 70 69 77; D Durnian (Eng) 69 74 73;

217 B Smit (RSA) 72 74 71; M Piñero (Esp) 72 70 75; N Ratcliffe (Aus) 73 72 72;

219 G Brand (Eng) 71 71 77; R Davis (Aus) 74 72 73;

223 C Grenier (Aut) 74 78 71;

225 V Garcia (Esp) 76 72 77;

227 A Garrido (Esp) 76 75 76;

230 M Bembridge (Eng) 82 76 72;

231 D Creamer (Eng) 75 75 81;

245 C Bisel (Fra) 87 80 78;