February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By John Manley
The hare won this one.
Eddie Polland got out of the blocks quickly in the Lawrence Batley Seniors at Huddersfield Golf Club in England and coasted to victory. Polland opened with consecutive rounds of five-under-par 66 to take a five-stroke lead into the third and final round. He shot 72 in that third frame to prevail by two strokes over Antonio Garrido. Polland’s final score was nine-under 204.
This is Polland’s first victory on the European Seniors Tour. The former Ryder Cup player, now 52, lost two playoffs last year.
David Jones took third place at 208 (68-70-70). Denis O’Sullivan shared 12th place at even-par 213 (73-70-70). Liam Higgins earned a slice of 14th place with his score of 214 (71-73-70). Paul Leonard was tied for 20th place at 216 (69-74-73), while Kenny Stevenson was with three others in 27th place, having shot 219 (72-73-74). Joe McDermott tied for 31st place at 220 (73-72-75).
Euro Challenge Tour
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Too bad Gary Murphy and David Higgins couldn’t have employed a best ball strategy in the Is Molas Challenge in Sardinia, Italy. When one was up, the other was down and vice-versa. Murphy, a 26-year-old Kilkenny man, shared the first-round lead with a seven-under 65, while Higgins, son of the aforementioned Liam, was two behind at 67.
Friday found Murphy falling back, while Higgins advanced with another 67. Murphy assumed the lead once again after shooting 68 on Saturday, while Higgins soared to 74. Murphy wasn’t up to the challenge on Sunday, shooting 72 for a total of 13-under 275, good for sole possession of sixth place. Higgins, meanwhile, had his best round of the tourney, a 66, earning him a fifth-place tie with a total of 274, 14 under par. Sean Quinlivan tied for 40th place at 284 (70-71-77-66). Bradley Dredge was the winner with a score of 270.
European Tour
Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington geared up for this week’s Murphy’s Irish Open by sharing 11th place in the European Grand Prix in Hexham, England. Clarke’s 284 was built on rounds of 71, 69, 76 and 68. Harrington shot four consecutive rounds of 71.
John McHenry had a confidence boosting finish, tying for 26th place at 287 (72-71-72-72). McHenry, remember, placed second in last year’s Irish Open. Paul McGinley tied for 40th place at 289 (67-73-74-75), while Philip Walton shared 69th position at 295 (72-71-77-75).
David Park was the winner at 14-under 274.
Nike Tour
Keith Nolan resurrected his game, getting a piece of 15th place in the Lehigh Valley Open at the Center Valley Club in Pennsylvania. This was Nolan’s best performance since last year’s Murphy’s Irish Open, in which he and McHenry were the lone Irishmen with a prayer of winning once the cut had been announced. Nolan shot 278 (73-68-71-66) in the Keystone State to finish eight shots behind Matt Goggin, the medalist. Nolan, whose 66 was Sunday’s low round, earned $3,032.
U.S. Seniors Tour
There was no catching Hale Irwin in the Ford Senior Players Championship at the TPC of Michigan; not that Christy O’Connor was anywhere near doing that. Irwin blew the field away in Dearborn with a 267, while O’Connor was struggling along, finishing tied for 64th place at 295 (75-75-69-76). O’Connor earned $2,500.