Irish Seniors Open:He came, he saw, he conquered. And then he smiled from ear to ear. Eight years after he last tasted victory at the Christy O'Connor Jnr-designed Galway Bay in the 1999 West of Ireland Classic, Costantino Rocca clinched a two-stroke win in the AIB Irish Seniors Open here.
The 50-year-old Italian has gained a few kilos since that memorable putt from the Valley of Sin at the 1995 British Open Championship, or that narrow victory over Padraig Harrington on Ireland's rugged west coast.
But the smile was the same, and so was his love of courses designed by O'Connor Jnr as a closing one-under-par 71 left him on five-under-par 283 at a soggy Palmerstown House.
That was two strokes clear of England's Kevin Spurgeon and Spain's Juan Quiros.
Two strokes behind leader Stewart Ginn of Australia starting the day, Rocca chiselled out two birdies and dropped just one stroke on the punishing, 6,800-yard Co Kildare lay-out to earn his first seniors victory in just his third start among the veterans.
But it was his two-putt par from well short of the 18th green - a mammoth, 50-yard effort that finished just four feet beyond the hole - that brought back memories of one of the former Ryder Cup player's finest hours.
"I remembered the putt I made at St Andrews," Rocca beamed, recalling the par-saving effort that forced a play-off with John Daly at the Home of Golf, before pocketing a cheque for €67,500, some €9,000 more than he earned in Galway in 1999.
Bearded Australian Ginn, who was beaten in a four-way play-off for this title last year, suffered heartache for the second year running as he slumped to a closing 76 to share fourth place on two under par with American left-hander Doug Johnson.
A double bogey five at the perilous eighth, where he found water off the tee, was the first nail in Ginn's coffin. But he was still tied for the lead on four under par playing the par-five 14th before a Rocca birdie there left him trailing for the first time all week.
Frustrated with his game, the 58-year old from Melbourne finally self-destructed on the 17th by three-putting for a double bogey six from just six feet.
"I think I like Christy O'Connor courses," Rocca said. "I won at Galway and now here. He is a very good friend and I like to make him happy. I'm sure I made him very happy. Maybe we will play another of Christy's courses next year.
"My last win was in '99, so it's a long time ago. This tournament, especially in Ireland for me is special. I love the people here, they follow me and is very nice."
Ulsterman Peter O'Hagan led the Irish challenge on three over, despite three-putting three times for a 76, to earn €6,777 towards his efforts to pre-qualify for the US Champions Tour.
There was also some joy for former international Adrian Morrow, who claimed the JB Carr Memorial Trophy as leading amateur for the second year running when he closed with a 74 to share 42nd place on 10 over par.
