Fred Funk and Brad Faxon parred the only play-off hole dwindling twilight would allow yesterday, forcing the Americans to return this morning to decide the BC Open champion.
Funk and Faxon played 36 holes yesterday to finish at 15 under par for 72 holes in the rain-disrupted event to lie one stroke ahead of Rory Sabbatini and three ahead of five others, including Trinidad's Stephen Ames.
Meanwhile, Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who also had to play 36 holes yesterday, heads into this week's Ryder Cup with confidence high after a superb performance yesterday.
Harrington raced through the field with a brilliant morning round of 67 for an eight under-par aggregate of 208. In the afternoon Harrington had a rollercoaster round but finished with a 71 for a nine under total of 279.
England's Mike Slater made his winning breakthrough after two years on the European Seniors Tour with a four-shot victory in the Ordina Legends in Golf Dutch seniors championship at Prise d'Eau, near Tilburg, yesterday.
The club professional from Warrington slotted a 14-foot birdie putt for a closing birdie three and a three-under-par 69. It gave him a 13-under total of 203 and finally closed out his nearest challenger, American Jerry Bruner who carded a 74 for a nine-under 207.
Bruner, a senior rookie from Los Angeles, had led Slater by a shot on 11-under overnight but had to settle for a share of second spot for the fourth time in his first season. The Californian was joined by Scotland's David Huish who raced out of the pack with a nine-birdie eight-under 64 which shattered the course record by two shots.
Slater has collected three course records in the past five weeks, including a 66 on the opening day in Holland. He is 52 in two weeks and said: "This is a wonderful early present. I've been waiting a long time for this. I'm thrilled to bits, especially with the way I held on to clinch it this time. Now I'm off to the Ryder Cup and looking forward to another success."
England's Lora Fairclough saw her hopes of a triumph at the Hannover Expo 2000 Open in Germany dashed by French player Sandrine Mendiburu's grand finale in the final round.
Fairclough shot a best of the day 67 in the breezy conditions to surge through the field and set the target of six under par 210. But Mendiburu birdied the last two holes in a 71 to win by two shots.
On eight under par 208, it made for back-to-back wins for the 26-year-old, who had won the Irish Open in a play-off two weeks ago.
After a course record third round 64, Mendiburu had set out one ahead. But Fairclough got on a roll with seven birdies in 11 holes from the third. But two late bogeys - at the 14th and 17th - were to prove fatal in her bid for a first win in 14 months.
