Senior British Open Pete Oakley's world is "about to change" after the little-known American secured by far the biggest payday of his career in winning the £1,000,000 Senior British Open at Royal Portrush yesterday. Paul Gallagher reports from Royal Portrush

The diminutive 54-year-old was still shell-shocked after he splashed out of a greenside bunker and holed a courageous 12-foot putt for par on the 18th to see-off the big guns of Eduardo Romero and Tom Kite.

"I'm still trying to rationalise what has just happened," said the club pro from Delaware after his round of 70 for a four-under-par 284 aggregate. "My world is changing already, I'm not used to all this attention, but it certainly is rewarding.

"That's some cash," he added. "I can now get out of debt and even pay for the kids' education," beamed the father-of-two when a reporter equated the £157,800 winner's cheque into dollars.

Oakley had no playing credentials to speak of until now and even had to pre-qualify to play at Portrush. His biggest cheque before was $25,000 for winning the USPGA Senior Professional Championship in 1999.

In the final round he had opened up a three-shot lead with three holes to play, but that was reduced to two after a loose drive at the 16th. "That hole has been my nemesis all week but I just pitched out and took my medicine and made bogey," said Oakley, who was acutely aware several big names were breathing down his neck.

Romero and Kite reduced the lead to one with birdies at the par five 17th, and the Argentinian almost pulled off a remarkable comeback on his Senior Tour debut, but in the end was left to rue missed putts of no more than three feet at the 12th and 13th.

He still ensured drama to the end by storming home with three birdies in the last four holes for a 67 to keep the pressure on Oakley. But he came up just short and tied for second alongside Kite, who shot 69.

Mark James (70) was unable to make it a back-to-back senior major wins - he won the Senior Players' Championship in Michigan two weeks ago - and had to settle for fourth, one shot ahead of adopted Irishman Mark McNulty (72) and American Don Pooley (72).

Defending champion Tom Watson (74), like so many, never came to terms with the Dunluce links and eventually finished well off the pace on nine over.

In Des Smyth's case he had a solid weekend to finish tied 13th on five over, but the Drogheda native was still disappointed not to have bettered a final round 72 in the easiest conditions of the week.

"Today was the day to score and it just didn't happen," mused Smyth. "I'd have been really happy with a 68 or 69 but I just couldn't hole a putt. My three birdies came at par fives after reaching them in two, which meant I had no single putts."

Smyth leaves for the US Senior Open at Bellerieve Golf Club in St Louis, Missouri, which starts on Thursday, still "searching for my A-Game".

284 (4 under)

Peter Oakley 73 68 73 70

285 (3 under)

Tom Kite 71 71 74 69

Eduardo Romero 69 75 74 67

286 (2 under)

Mark James 72 70 74 70

287 (1 under)

Mark McNulty 72 69 74 72

Don Pooley 69 72 74 72

290 (2 over)

Bill Longmuir 71 71 76 72

291 (3 over)

Carl Mason 70 71 81 69

292 (4 over)

Graham Marsh 76 73 72 71

Bruce Summerhays 73 73 75 71

Sam Torrance 72 73 78 69

Bobby Lincoln 78 69 73 72

293 (5 over)

Andy Bean 72 75 75 71

Des Smyth 74 76 71 72

John Grace 72 73 75 73

Giuseppe Cali 76 70 76 71

294 (6 over)

Hugh Baiocchi 71 77 74 72

295 (7 over)

Seiji Ebihara 75 72 76 72

Bruce Fleisher 71 76 76 72

Morris Hatalsky 75 74 74 72

David Good 75 73 75 72

297 (9 over)

Mike Ferguson 72 77 79 69

Tom Watson 75 74 74 74

Bruce Heuchan 72 75 75 75

Jim Rhodes 69 77 77 74

Isao Aoki 76 75 77 69

Dana Quigley 73 71 80 73

Lonnie Nielsen 76 76 73 72

David Chillas 69 75 83 70

298 - Noel Ratcliffe 73 73 78 74, John Bland 75 77 75 71, John Jacobs 71 76 78 73. 299 - Bob Gilder 74 76 75 74, David Eger 73 73 78 75, Terry Gale 77 75 77 70, Mike Miller 74 74 77 74, David Russell 77 74 70 78. 300 - John Harris 74 77 76 73, Simon Owen 72 75 80 73, Bob Cameron 75 74 77 74. 301 - Jack Spradlin 75 74 75 77, Jeff Thomsen 73 73 76 79, a-Roy Smethurst 76 74 75 76. 302 - John Irwin 76 76 76 74, Paul Leonard 73 79 74 76. 303 - Bob Ford 79 74 77 73, Dennis Durnian 74 74 79 76, Noboru Sugai 72 76 77 78, Martin Foster 77 74 75 77. 304 Hank Woodrome 73 78 76 77, Ian Mosey 70 76 80 78. 305 - Mark Johnson 77 76 78 74, John Morgan 73 76 77 79. 306 - James Mason 77 76 78 75, Bob Larratt 78 75 74 79. 307 - Denis O'Sullivan 76 75 77 79, Mike Reid 76 76 79 76, Chris Moody 76 76 75 80. 308 - Eamonn Darcy 73 76 81 78. 309 - Horacio Carbonetti 74 75 78 82, DA Weibring 74 74 82 79, Brian Evans 76 76 78 79. 310 - Guillermo Encina 72 78 78 82. 311 - Bob Charles 75 75 81 80. 314 - Joe Inman 76 76 80 82, Steve Wild 78 71 83 82. 315 - Brian Jones 74 76 85 80. 318 - Peter Martin 74 75 81 88. Withdrawn: Manuel Velasco.