Challengers fall away as Sugai survives a nervy finish

British Seniors Open: Japan's Noboru Sugai had to endure a nervy finish in difficult, wet conditions before he was crowned the Mastercard Senior British Open champion and recipient of the €125,000 winner's cheque at Royal County Down yesterday, writes Paul Gallagher

In the end, it was a deserved victory for the relatively unknown Tokyo resident, who led the championship from start to finish. But it would have been a greater spectacle, rather than procession, had some of the established names been able to mount a serious challenge.

The biggest win of Sugai's career was confirmed with a closing two-over-par 73 for a three-under 281 aggregate, two shots clear of Canadian John Irwin in second. Irwin's 70 meant he was the only realistic challenger to Sugai, who started the day with a record six-shot lead.

"It feels fantastic to win here, I was nervous on the first tee and throughout the round, but I held on," said the elated 52-year-old who was five shots ahead with three holes to play.

That lead was reduced to just two shots standing on the 18th tee. From there the winner of three Senior Japanese events opted for an iron at the par five for safety, only to find the lip of a fairway bunker. He splashed out and played for bogey, which was good enough to win as Irwin found sand with his second and also bogeyed.

Christy O'Connor Jnr finished third on two-over-par after a day when he struggled to get the putter working. The 2000 winner had to wait until the 12th for his first birdie after 11 straight pars, and by that stage holes were running out.

"I have to be happy, I hit 17 greens in regulation but had 35 putts," said O'Connor. "I left seven or eight putts hanging. Had I made those I would have been right there.

"The winning score was phenomenal, anything under par is brilliant," was his closing compliment to the winner.

Observing the capitulation of the legendary Tom Watson was the biggest disappointment of the weekend.

The 52-year-old had lived up to his billing as the pre-tournament favourite with opening rounds of 70 and 69 to remain in touch of Sugai's early targets. However, any hopes of the five-time British Open champion lifting the Senior equivalent at his first attempt disappeared with closing rounds of 76 and 79.

"My game wasn't up to it. I was defenceless on the putting greens and that probably got me a little down in the dumps not being able to compete," remarked Watson.

In any case his round was doomed as early as the second when he took three to get out of a bunker for a triple bogey seven.

Tipperary golfer Arthur Pierse secured his second silver medal in as many years as the leading amateur. The accolade was guaranteed on Friday night after the former Irish International and Walker Cup player was the only amateur to make the cut. Pierse finished on 21-over after a closing 78.

Sugai's win brings down the curtain on the three-year relationship this championship has enjoyed with Royal County Down. Although no venue has been announced for next year, the Senior British Open may return to Britain, perhaps to the west coast of Scotland.

COLLATED FINAL SCORES

Par 71

281 - N Sugai (Jpn) 67 67 73 74.

283 - J Irwin (Can) 71 68 74 70.

286 - C O'Connor Jnr 73 70 73 70.

287 - J Chillas 69 69 77 72 289 B Vivian 71 72 78 68, S Ebihara (Jpn) 72 71 77 69, K Takahashi (Jpn).

290 - J McTear 71 78 71 70, N Job 76 67 75 72.

291 - J Bland (Rsa) 71 70 73 77.

292 - Mike Miller 74 72 74 72 293 J Morgan 72 70 77 74, D Oakley (USA) 76 68 74 75.

294 - K MacDonald 74 70 79 71, B Charles (Nzl) 73 72 77 72, M Bembridge 72 73 76 73, P Diniz (Bra) 74 72 74 74, T Watson (USA) 70 69 76 79.

295 - N Coles 74 70 78 73, M Gregson 72 71 77 75.

296 - M Foster 71 77 78 70, R Metherell (Aus) 75 69 76 76, D Huish 76 70 74 76. 297 - R Weir 68 72 79 78 298 N Ratcliffe (Aus) 77 71 81 69, D Durnian 73 72 81 72, B Verway (Rsa) 72 71 82 73, A Croce (Ita) 76 70 78 74, D O'Sullivan 77 72 75 74, B Brask (USA) 76 72 75 75. 299 - I Stanley (Aus) 75 71 79 74, B Feil (USA) 73 73 79 74, J Bruner (USA) 73 72 78 76 .300 - P Ward 76 71 80 73, W MacDonald 75 73 79 73, D Creamer 76 74 77 73, B Jones (Aus) 72 73 77 78. 301 - P Kerr 69 77 84 71, T Horton 74 74 79 74, R Carrasco (USA) 71 76 79 75. 302 - I Mosey 74 75 79 74, G Parslow (Aus) 72 78 77 75. 303 I Richardson 77 73 79 74, J Grace (USA) 72 72 84 75, B Smith (Aus) 77 70 81 75, W Milne 76 74 77 76, J Fourie (Rsa) 72 74 79 78. 304 - J Mashego (Rsa) 79 71 82 72, T Allen 70 73 88 73, B Shearer (Aus) 76 73 76 79, D Halldorsan (Can) 71 75 76 82. 305 - A Pierse (a) 80 69 78 78 307 S Stull (USA) 83 70 81 73. 308 - J McDermott 75 76 82 75, V Garcia (Spa) 75 74 83 76, M Edmunds 76 73 79 80, M Steadman 77 73 78 80. 309 - S Locatelli (Ita) 75 74 82 78, J Traub (USA) 73 73 84 79. 312 - G MacDonald (Can) 76 75 79 82 319 G Parkhill 83 71 80 85.