Clark keeps his cool to claim Italian senior pro crown

Clark Dennis with the championship trophy. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images (c). EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS Clark Dennis secured his first European Senior Tour title as he beat Peter Fowler in a play-off after the third round of the Senior Italian Open presented by Villaverde Resort was abandoned due to a flooded course. Dennis and Fowler shared the lead on seven under par after Saturday’s second round and reached the fourth fairway at Golf Club Udine on Sunday morning before play was suspended, and then abandoned, due to severe rain and the threat of thunderstorms later in the afternoon. The pair then went to the 18th fairway, which had been converted into a 162 yard par three hole, to play-off for the title. Both found the green with their tee shots and Dennis converted his birdie putt from 15 feet, with Fowler’s just missing, handing the American his first Senior Tour title, just a week after finishing second at the Travis Perkins Masters at Woburn. “This is a real monkey off my back,” said Dennis, who had four top-five finishes to his name prior to this week. “I have spit the bit a few times this year, but feel like I’ve played well in a lot of instances. “Yesterday when I made a triple-bogey on 15, I didn’t feel like it was my fault; but to make a birdie on the 17th after that was great. It was very important to make that birdie, my second shot was probably my best of the day and I hit it to a foot." . Final scores: PAR 144 (2X72) 137 P Fowler (Aus) 69 68, C Dennis (USA) 67 70, 138 S Tinning (Den) 69 69, C Williams (SAf) 70 68, 139 G Marks (Eng) 67 72, B Lane (Eng) 72 67, J Sandelin (Swe) 69 70, R Chapman (Eng) 70 69, A Bossert (Sui) 68 71, S Dodd (Wales) 71 68, 140 A Franco (Paraguay) 68 72, C Suneson (Spn) 69 71, B McGovern (Ire) 71 69, 141 J Kingston (SAf) 71 70, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 67 74, M Farry (Fra) 69 72, P Golding (Eng) 71 70, 142 M Harwood (Australia) 72 70, A Oldcorn (Sco) 69 73, T Thelen (USA) 68 74, 143 M Martin (Spn) 71 72, G Orr (Sco) 73 70, S Luna (Spn) 73 70, G Emerson (Eng) 70 73, J Carriles (Spn) 72 71  144 P Wesselingh (Eng) 74 70, R Rafferty (NIre) 69 75, M Atlevi (Swe) 71 73, D Gilford (Eng) 72 72, A Sherborne (Eng) 71 73, C Rocca (Ita) 72 72, C Mason (Eng) 73 71, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 70 74  145 B Longmuir (Sco) 75 70, B Conser (USA) 74 71, L Zhang (China) 70 75, M Mouland (Wales) 75 70 146 Z Martinez (USA) 77 69, P Wilson (Eng) 73 73 147 C Monasterio (Arg) 74 73, J Rivero (Spn) 72 75, P Eales (Eng) 77 70, S Brown (Eng) 71 76, G Rusnak (USA) 72 75, M Mackenzie (Eng) 74 73 148 G Turner (NZ) 74 74 149 J Sallat (Fra) 74 75  150 P Linhart (Spn) 78 72 151 G Brand (Eng) 77 74  153 P Walton (Ire) 77 76, S Richardson (Eng) 76 77  154 N Job (Eng) 76 78 155 M Bianco (Ita) 79 76  158 C Acutis (Ita) 80 78, 162 L Vento (am) (Ita) 81 81, M Franco (am) (Ita) 85 77, G Airaga (am) (Ita) 79