GOLF:SENIOR TOUR: Domingo Hospital of Spain captured his maiden European Senior Tour title with a round of 74 at the inaugural Sicilian Senior Open at Il Picciolo Golf Club. In a play-off he edged out Horacio Carbonetti of Argentina on the first extra hole to take the €37,500 first prize. Both had finished on five under par in regulation.
Carbonetti’s consolation was a cheque for €25,000 which moved him up to 38th on the Order of Merit, and therefore guaranteed him a place in season-ending Castellón Senior Tour Championship.
Third place went to Canadian Graham Gunn, whose level par 72 meant he finished on four under, while American Jerry Bruner, Carbonetti’s brother Luis, England’s Carl Mason and Scotland’s Andrew Oldcorn all finished in a tie for fourth place on three under par.
The only other player to finish below par was England’s Tony Allen, whose 68 – the lowest of the day – catapulted him from 24th place to eighth on one under.
Earlier in the day, home hero Costantino Rocca delighted the locals by scoring an ace on the second hole with an eight-iron.
Jimmy Heggarty finished on three over after a 74 while Denis O’Sullivan ended on 76 shots to finish eight over.
WOMEN’S WORLD: Korea broke the scoring record on their way to securing the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship to land the Espirito Santo Trophy in Buenos Aires.
Ireland finished tied 11th.
Korea, who won the title in the Philippines in 1996, returned a 30-under-par 546 aggregate – two scores from three to count over four rounds – to win by a staggering 17 shots from the US in second. The Americans held the low scoring record (558 in 1998) but still hold the winning margin of 21 shots, also set in 1998.
“This is the second time we have won this event and I would like to thank the players for the victory,” said Korean captain Hyung-Mo Kang. “They played very well.”
Hyun-Soo Kim and Jung-Eun Han shot 69 and 70, respectively. The 71 from Ji-Hee Kim was discarded.
Han, who advanced to the third round of this year’s US Women’s Amateur, set the championship record for 72-hole score by winning the individual event with a 275 aggregate (72, 65, 68, 70), one stroke better than American Jenny Chuasiriporn in 1998.
The Irish team of Danielle McVeigh and Leona and Lisa Maguire finished alongside Denmark with a 577 aggregate following rounds of 144, 143, 147 and 143 played over the Buenos Aires and Olivos Golf Clubs. In the final round Leona shot the best Irish score of the week (69), while her twin Lisa shot 74. McVeigh’s 79 was discarded.
The trio bettered Ireland’s previous performance when McVeigh, Niamh Kitching and Tara Delaney tied 24th at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia in 2008.
America finished second on 563 to secure their 19th medal overall and third silver medal performance. Danielle Kang, the current US Women’s Amateur champion, shot 70 and Cydney Clanton shot 73.
Defending champions Sweden, France and South Africa finished tied for third on 572.
