O'Connor settles for second best

GOLF/Digest: Japan's Seiji Ebihara claimed one of the richest prizes in European Seniors Tour golf when he closed with a three…

GOLF/Digest: Japan's Seiji Ebihara claimed one of the richest prizes in European Seniors Tour golf when he closed with a three-under-par 66 to romp to a three-shot victory at the Wales Seniors Open at Royal St David's in Harlech.

The Japanese golfer posted a four-under-par aggregate of 203 to finish ahead of Ireland's Christy O'Connor Jnr and defending champion Denis Durnian, and claim the £75,000 winner's cheque.

Australia's Ian Stanley and former Open and US Open champion Tony Jacklin were one shot further back on level par 207.

Ebihara won last month's AIB Irish Seniors Open after a tense battle with Durnian and O'Connor Jnr but this time it was much more straightforward.

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He started the round sharing first place with Charles and England's Nick Job but the Japanese golfer went out in 34 after birdies at the second, sixth, eighth and ninth and then moved into a five-stroke lead after further birdies on the 11th and 12th.

He dropped shots on both the 13th and 16th but sealed his victory with a further birdie at the 427 yard par five 17th hole. The victory took Ebihara to the top of the Seniors Tour Order of Merit with £112,642.

Alison Coffey stumbled over the homeward half of the final round of the women's British Open Mid-amateur golf championship over The Berkshire course at Ascot yesterday to throw away the chance of lifting the title.

The 29-year-old Warrenpoint player who had led after the opening round on Friday, posted a closing 77 - five over par - for a 54 hole total of 219 which gave her fourth place. She ended up five strokes behind winner Anne Laing