BROWN CLAIMS SECOND SENIOR TITLE AFTER AMSTERDAM WASH-OUT

 

 REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Simon P Brown claimed the second European Senior Tour title of his rookie season at the Dutch Senior Open, where heavy rain and flooding caused the final round to be cancelled meaning the tournament was reduced to 36 holes.

The 50 year old had led the field by two overnight after he added a two under par second round 71 to his opening 72 in the weather-affected event at The International, beside Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.

The players had to battle the elements on day one in the Dutch capital as heavy downpours and cold temperatures played havoc with the conditions but after an overnight delay due to darkness, much better climes greeted the field on day two and Brown took advantage to edge clear.

Extremely heavy rain fell overnight before the final round, however, flooding the course, and with much more precipitation forecast there could only be one outcome as tournament officials called a halt to play for the week.

While Brown was disappointed not to have had the chance to win the title over the regulation three days, the Germany-based former club professional was delighted to have added to his trophy haul after playing some stunning golf in the opening two days to finish the week on three under.

“Obviously I'm delighted to have won the tournament,” said the West Sussex native. “The weather is just horrendous out there and it would have been a complete lottery for everyone if we even tried to begin play so these decisions have to be made.

“Honestly, looking outside, I am relieved. It doesn’t take anything away from my victory but obviously we would have all liked to have gone out and played a third round of this event. Sometimes you have no control over the circumstances.

“I'm just happy to have done what I did in the first two days. It’s amazing that I have two victories now. I never thought anything like this would happen in my first year on the Senior Tour.”

Brown would need something special in the final two events of the season to overtake current Order of Merit leader Steen Tinning and claim the John Jacobs Trophy but he has moved to fourth in the standings and has his eye firmly on finishing in the top six, which earns an exemption to all of the Senior Majors in 2014.

“I have entered for the Fubon Senior Open in Taiwan and then I will be going to Mauritius for the MCB Tour Championship and it’s a big goal now to finish in that top six for the Majors next year,” said the 50 year old.

“I haven’t entered for the Qualifying School in the USA and I just want to keep both feet on the ground. I’d like to play those few events out there and see what it’s like to play the Majors but I want to stay in Europe.

“I'm definitely in for The 2014 Senior Open Championship but there are still two events to go and everything is very close up there now. I had a goal at the beginning of the year and that was just to be in the top 30 but to be in with a chance of getting all the big ones next year is great.”

Ross Drummond, meanwhile, was disappointed not to have had a chance to mount a title challenge, having finished the second round two shots off the lead on one under par, but the Scot felt there was only going to be one result given the weather.

“Obviously I'm delighted to have finished second and get a best finish of the season,” said the 57 year old. “There was a lot of speculation this morning about what might happen but the decision was the right one. It would have been a great opportunity for me to claim a first Senior Tour title but in view of the conditions, I am glad that we didn’t have to go out there.”

Spain’s José Manuel Carriles, Paul Eales of England and Frenchman Marc Farry all finished in a tie for third place on level par while Paul Wesselingh’s tied sixth finish moved him to within just under €10,000 of Senior Tour Order of Merit leader Steen Tinning, who finished tied 18^th in Amsterdam.

Final scores:

 

143 S Brown (Eng) 72 71,

145 R Drummond (Sco) 76 69,

146 M Farry (Fra) 72 74, P Eales (Eng) 74 72, J Carriles (Esp) 75 71,

147 P Jonas (Can) 75 72, P Golding (Eng) 73 74, P Wesselingh (Eng) 77 70, G Manson (Aut) 78 69, M Martin (Esp) 75 72,

148 G Emerson (Eng) 76 72, N Job (Eng) 72 76,

149 S Luna (Esp) 75 74, M Harwood (Aus) 78 71, P Mitchell (Eng) 75 74, H Buhrmann (RSA) 74 75, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 73 76,

150 T Price (Aus) 76 74, D Smyth (Irl) 77 73, B Cameron (Eng) 78 72, P Fowler (Aus) 78 72, S Tinning (Den) 73 77,

151 P Linhart (Esp) 76 75, C Williams (RSA) 75 76, K Spurgeon (Eng) 78 73, A Sherborne (Eng) 78 73,

152 J Quiros (Esp) 73 79, B Longmuir (Sco) 78 74, C Rocca (Ita) 74 78, T Thelen (USA) 74 78, A Oldcorn (Sco) 76 76, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 73 79,

153 A Franco (Par) 77 76, M McLean (Eng) 78 75, P Curry (Eng) 78 75, R Thompson (USA) 80 73, M Cunning (USA) 77 76, S Torrance (Sco) 80 73,

154 P Walton (Irl) 79 75, M James (Eng) 79 75, G Ralph (Eng) 79 75,

155 M Piñero (Esp) 78 77, A Saddington (Sco) 80 75,

156 R Gibson (Can) 77 79, D James (Sco) 79 77, G Ryall (Eng) 85 71, L Carbonetti (Arg) 79 77, G Brand (Eng) 79 77,

157 G Banister (Aus) 77 80,

158 D Hospital (Esp) 78 80, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 78 80, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 84 74,

159 J Harrison (Eng) 77 82,

161 J Bruner (USA) 85 76,

166 M Bembridge (Eng) 83 83,

167 B Gee (Ned) 89 78, P Way (Eng) 92 75,

168 D Durnian (Eng) 83 85,

179 A Garrido (Esp) 91 88,

182 M Metgod (Ned) 90 92,

 

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS