In 1975, Ian Stanley shared the winner's podium with Christy O'Connor Jnr in the Martini International. They didn't have a play-off then, but there was no escaping sudden-death at Royal Co Down yesterday, before Stanley succeeded the Galwayman as Senior British Open champion.

He earned £79,000 sterling after beating fellow antipodean Bob Charles with a par on the 18th, the first play-off hole. Only a short-time earlier, Stanley looked to have squandered his chance of victory when he three-putted the 18th from 20 feet, having raced the first putt four feet past.

It was the sixth time in 15 attempts that Charles has finished runner-up in this championship, though he also captured it in 1989 and 1993.

"I had an opportunity when I took three from the edge at the last, but Ian deserved to win - he played great," the 65-year-old left-hander said.

Incredibly, Stanley admitted that thoughts of Retief Goosen flashed through his mind as he stood over a four-foot putt for victory on the last. "It was silly, I know; I can't explain it," he said, recalling how the South African, too, had been forced into a play-off by three putts, before capturing the US Open last month.

"Thoughts of Retief also worked to my advantage, because when me and my caddie headed down the 18th again for the play-off, we agreed that we must re-group and think positive."

He added: "My tummy got a little tight when I saw Jack's (Nicklaus) name on the board, but I decided to worry about the guy I was playing with, Bob."

Nicklaus, making a long-awaited debut in the event, got within two strokes of the lead when he eagled the long 12th - a stunning, five-iron approach of 206 yards actually hit the pin before the ball came to rest only five feet away. Needing further birdies, however, the Bear destroyed his chance of victory with a bogey at the difficult 15th, where he drove into rough.

Still, he went for a big finish down the treacherous, 528-yard 18th, and a driver off the tee left him a comfortably negotiable 236 yards to the front of the green. As it happened, an attempted two-iron draw - "I don't like to draw the ball" - became a hook into heavy rough on the left. From there, he was forced to pitch and two-putt for a rather tame par and a closing 69.

"Though I would obviously like to have won, I'm pleased to have played in the tournament at least this once," he said. "I like the golf course a lot and it was a terrific test, especially with the change of wind today (from the south-west). Now, I've got to get myself sorted out physically before I make any plans for future tournament appearances."

During the 1970s, Stanley was noted for having as many as 20 second-place tournament finishes. But he has become a winner in senior ranks, and captured the De Vere PGA Seniors' Championship over 72 holes at Carden Park in May. And apart from the financial rewards, he gains an exemption into the British Open at Muirfield next year.

Meanwhile, a measure of how good a test Royal Co Down presented to a quality field was that only five players carded aggregate scores of par or better. And the 18th remained fearsome, with Gary Player carding a seven there while birdies were very rare indeed.

"You have to be in the right place or you likely to get a bad bounce - that is the mark of a well thought-out golf course," was the Bear's assessment.

Either way, this wonderful links proved to be too difficult a test for the Irish challengers. Best home performance came from local man Eddie Polland, who had a second successive 70 for 289, a share of 13th place and a cheque for £8,650. Polland, who was born in a house closeby the 15th tee, had to sink an eight-footer for a bogey at the last, after being bunkered in two.

Stanley moved from a share of fourth position behind John Bland at the halfway stage to become the 54-hole leader, after a third round 70 on Saturday. And typical of a prospective winner, he had his share of luck, especially in the manner a hazard stake kept an over-zealous two-iron tee shot out of water on the 17th.

In the play-off, Charles eased the pressure for him by hitting his tee-shot into a bunker on the left. Stanley then concentrated on keeping the ball in play, hitting three-iron, five-iron and finally a nine-iron to set up a winning, two-putt par.