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Mitchell edges Torrance to win Scottish Seniors Open

GOLF DIGEST: A round-up including news from the Senior Tour, the Challenge Tour, the LET and the Fedex Cup.

Mon Sept 29 2008 - 01:00

GOLF DIGEST:A round-up including news from the Senior Tour, the Challenge Tour, the LET and the Fedex Cup.

SENIORS TOUR:England's Peter Mitchell withstood a strong challenge from Scotland's Sam Torrance to win his second European Seniors Tour title of the season at the Scottish Seniors Open over the East course at the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel Country Club near Edinburgh.

Mitchell, who won his maiden Seniors Tour title at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open earlier this summer, started the day two shots in front of Torrance but found himself one behind the former Ryder Cup captain at the turn before carding three birdies over the next four holes to open a lead he was never to relinquish.

In the end, a three-time European Tour winner from Kent, who carded 12 birdies over his closing 36 holes, posted a nine under par aggregate of 207, two shots ahead of Torrance and three in front of first-round leader Des Smyth, who slipped to a closing 71.

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A final round of 69 took Eamonn Darcy into fourth place on 212 with Denis O'Sullivan on 215 after a 71.

Earlier in the day, England's Tommy Horton brought his illustrious European Seniors Tour to an impressive close when he carded a one under par 71 to finish the championship in a share of 19th place on three over par 219.

Horton, 67, has won a record 23 titles and well over €1.5 million since turning 50 back in 1991 but has decided to call it a day while he remains competitive.

FEDEX CUP:Sergio Garcia fell back into a three-way tie for the lead midway through the final round of the Tour Championship yesterday.

Garcia began the day with a three-shot lead but dropped two shots on the front nine, gathering seven pars and two bogeys in benign conditions at East Lake.

Americans Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim reeled in Garcia at the turn, all three starting the back nine at six under, two strokes clear of Colombian Camilo Villegas.

CHALLENGE TOUR:Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey had to endure a day of frustration as he was overtaken at the top of the leaderboard at the Dutch Fututres presented by Royal Bank of Scotland, eventually finishing in a tie for sixth place.

The Belfast 29-year-old had carved out a one-stroke lead going into the final round of the European Challenge Tour event at the Golf club Houtrak in Holland, but he could do nothing to stop the irresistible duo of Denmark's Jeppe Huldahl and Holland's Taco Remkes.

Respective final round scores of 65 and 66 left Huldahl and Remkes tied on 13-under-par 265 aggregates before the Dutchman delighted his home crowd by producing a birdie four at the first extra play-off hole to secure his second victory of the season.

Hoey's final round of level-par 72 saw him finish the week on 10 under. His sixth-place finish was worth € 4,088 and moved him up two spots on the Challenge Tour Rankings, to 29th place. Hoey has three events of the season remaining to break into the all-important top 20 to guarantee a European Tour card for next season.

LET TOUR:Germany's Anja Monke captured her maiden Ladies European Tour title on Sunday by winning the Vediorbis Open de France Dames at Le Golf D'Arras.

Monke carded a final round of four-under-par 68 to finish on a four-round total of 10-under-par 278, two clear of Spain's Tania Elosegui and Nina Reis of Sweden.

After opening with rounds of 67, 78 and 65, she came from four shots behind the third round leader Stefania Croce of Italy to secure the €52,250 first prize money.

Monke went to the turn in level par 36 with nine steady pars but picked up the pace with four birdies on the back nine at the 10th, 13th, 16th and 17th holes.