Nobilo sweeps past Hoch to take the prize

FRANK NOBILO gave special meaning to the notion of an end of season windfall, when he retained the $1.9 million Sarazen World Open here at Chateau Elan yesterday. By claiming top prize of $342,000 with a 16 under par aggregate of 272, the New Zealander took his average haul to $938.12 per stroke, in three challenges in the event.

With a sparkling, final round of 66 in ideal, sunny conditions, Nobilo not only overhauled the overnight leader Scott Hoch; he swept past him to a four stroke winning margin. With a four stroke lead entering the final round, Hoch claimed: "I felt good and I didn't think I could be caught, the way I was playing.

But with a closing 74, the American fell victim to a frail competitive temperament which has failed him in the past, notably when he squandered a seven stroke lead with six to play in the Houston Open last year. As for Nobilo, he described his success as: "Unbelievable. This is the first time I have successfully defended a tournament and to do it here . . . I'm speechless."

Meanwhile, Philip Walton echoed the sentiments of several European colleagues while studying a breakdown of the prize fund. "A shot or two for the better would have meant a huge difference in cash," he exclaimed.

Those thoughts were clearly recognisable in the grim expression of Ryder Cup team mate, Mark James, as he walked off the green at the long ninth, his finishing hole. The veteran English player had what appeared to be a simple 3 1/2 foot birdie putt to complete his round, but took, three putts to complete his work, pushing him out to 292.

As it happened, the Irish had their best ever assault on this prestigious tournament. Padraig Harrington (73 for 288) collected $19,450 for a share of 19th place; Walton (70 for 289) claimed $17,575 in a share of 21st place and at the end of an extraordinary day for him, Paul McGinley (76 for 291) was tied 24th for $14,725 (dollars).

While Hoch seemed incapable of making anything happen, Nobilo was soon into his stride, playing a superb, seven iron bunker recovery to within a foot of the pin at the fourth, for an opening birdie. He also pitched and putted the long fifth, to close the gap to two strokes at that stage.

Nobilo went on to pitch and putt the three other par fives for birdies and was handed a four stroke cushion going up the 18th when Hoch took two to escape from a greenside trap at the 17th, running up a double bogey six. "My target now is to join the US tour next season, provided they permit me to make Europe, rather than Australasia, my home tour," said the champion. "That way I could get the releases I need to play on both sides of the Atlantic."

Harrington was clearly feeling the effects of an extremely busy end to the season in Europe. "I have had only one week off since the beginning of August and I paid the price here in some costly mental errors," he said. Typical of these was a drive into the left rough which led to a bogey at the first.

He also bogeyed the second, missing the green and then missing from four feet. One over par for the tournament at that stage, he was now struggling to claim a decent cheque. Remarkable, competitive maturity was in evidence, however, as Harrington went on to card six solid pars before getting a birdie at the long ninth where he pitched dead. And he got in to red figures once more by hitting a three iron to 15 feet at the 213 yard 12th.

But there was another mental lapse at the short, 150 yard 15th. "Instead of hitting a soft cut with a seven iron, I hit a high draw and sent the ball through the green," he said, reflecting on a costly bogey. He added: "Basically I need time off to practise, but that won't happen until O get back from the Hassan Trophy in Morocco next week."

As a fascinating footnote to the event, Harrington had the distinction of being level par for the par threes, level par for the par fours and level par for the par fives, over the four days.

Meanwhile, McGinley couldn't recall a more dramatic opening eight holes in which he failed to card a par. They comprised three birdies, four bogeys and the crushing blow of a triple bogey eight at the long fifth. For a player who has never been to Augusta National, it gave him a flavour of the long 13th, on which it is modelled.

Particularly ironic was that he started with a chip in birdie at the first, holing from 20 feet. And despite sinking a 20 footer for a two at the short seventh, the Dubliner bemoaned his clumsy touch with the blade. "I have had nine three putts over the four rounds and you can't expect to be seriously competitive doing that," he said.

But what of the eight? It was the product of a hooked drive into a creek on the left and later a halfshanked wedge which hit the side of the green and found the water once more. "That was real nightmare stuff," he added. "From there on. I was simply trying to save my score.

In the circumstances, he succeeded admirably, covering the remaining 13 holes in one over par, despite yet another three putt bogey at the short 15th. The really frustrating thing was that I was playing well from tee to green, he said. "That's hard to take." McGinley was also thinking of the strong position he reached on Saturday, when he got to five under for the championship after 10 holes, only to drop four strokes over the last four holes.

Walton had the best finishing round of the Irish trio, but he wasn't sorry when it was over. "Thank God I've only one more tournament this year in the Casio World Open in Japan in three weeks," he said. "It's a year in which very little has done right for me on the golf course and can't wait for it to finish."

Starting on the 10th. Walton had the immediate boost of a birdie four, hitting an eight iron third shot to thief feet. He also birdied the long 15th, pitching to three and a half feet. But from then on, he produced a fairly predictable mixture of birdies and bogeys to be level par for the remainder of the round.

In fact Walton carded a total five birdies, but none was at the treacherous, short 15th when a bogey meant that it had cost him a total of five strokes.