February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Torrential overnight rains forced the cancellation of the final round of the Bad Ragaz Seniors Open in Switzerland, leaving the co-leaders, Denis O’Sullivan and Taki Dragon, to settle the championship in a three-hole playoff. O’Sullivan bogeyed each hole, while Dragon made par to easily take the trophy.
Both men completed the first two rounds in 130, with O’Sullivan carding scores of 66 and 64, easily his best performance of the season. The playoff began on the first hole, with the Corkman pulling his tee shot into a fairway bunker. His tee shot on the par-three 17th hole also found sand, and then he pushed his tee shot on 18 into the trees.
“I don’t know what happened,” O’Sullivan said. “I hit the ball great on the range, but as soon as I got out there, things started to go wrong. It’s one of those things. Dragon played well and I did not give him a game. That’s life, I suppose.”
Joe McDermott tied for 28th place after shooting 138 (68-70) for 36 holes. Eddie Polland shared 46th position with others who shot 141 (70-71), while Liam Higgins, at 142 (68-74), tied for the 51st slot.
PGA Tour
Richard Coughlan made a rare appearance under the big top and went all the way in the Buick Open at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Mich., sharing 53rd place with his 283 (71-68-71-73). Tiger Woods won the trophy with the low score of 271. Coughlan earned $7,331.08.
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European Tour
Paul McGinley tied for sixth place in the Celtic Manor Wales Open at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales. With a 72-hole total of 280 (69-71-69-71), he was eight shots behind champion Paul Lawrie. McGinley’s take came to $50,905.
Gr’me McDowell tied for 16th place at 283 (73-69-71-70), which was good for $20,956. A trio of Irishmen was found tied for 32nd position at 285. They were Ronan Rafferty (70-75-71-69), Des Smyth (68-74-73-70) and Darren Clarke (68-74-72-71). Each earned $12,268. Philip Walton shot 146 (70-76) for 36 holes and missed the cut by one shot.
Euro Challenge Tour
The BMW Russian Open in Moscow found three Irishmen in the top 15 at the completion of play. Damien McGrane was highest, with a fourth-place finish. He shot 273 (69-67-70-67), four shots behind Iain Pyman, the medalist. Peter Lawrie tied for sixth place at 276 (67-70-67-72), while Stephen Browne earned a share of 15th place at 280 (72-70-69-69). McGrane earned $8,734, Lawrie took home $6,524, and Browne’s cut came to $2,454.
Speaking of another kind of cut, 142 or lower was needed for weekend play. That ruled out Paddy Gribben, 148 (75-73), Ciaran McMonagle, 151 (77-74), and Gary Murphy, 152 (72-80).
Europro Tour
Eamonn Brady rose as high as ninth place after the second round in the Admiral Golf Challenge at Woodlake Park Golf Club in Cardiff, Wales, but a final-round 78 left him tied for 38th place. Brady shot 215 (73-64-78) for 54 holes. Matthew Griffiths and Peter Whiteford were low men at 201, with Griffiths prevailing in a playoff.
Buy.com Tour
The number was 144 and that proved too low for both John Kernohan and Keith Nolan, who missed the cut at the LaSalle Bank Open at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Long Grove, Ill. Kernohan shot 149 (78-71) for 36 holes and Nolan was in at 154 (71-83).