GOLF DIGEST: HOLDERS the United States clinched the Presidents Cup for a sixth time in eight editions when Tiger Woods beat Yang Yong-eun from South Korea 6 and 5 in the ninth match out yesterday.
The Americans led the Internationals by 12½-9½ going into the last-day singles at Harding Park Golf Course and needed only five more points from the 12 on offer.
The biennial event was created by the US PGA Tour in 1994 to give players not eligible for the Ryder Cup a chance to compete against the US. The US, captained by Fred Couples, had five players who won a total of 16 Tour events this season, with 20 wins for squad members overall. Only Ogilvy and Yang among the internationals won more than one event on the USPGA Tour this year.
CHALLENGE TOUR: A Career best round of 63 helped former Walker Cup player John Parry of England seal his maiden Challenge Tour title at the ALLIANZ Golf Open Grand Toulouse.
Parry, who started the day four shots off the lead in 14th place, posted eight birdies in a flawless round to finish on 21-under-par 267, two strokes clear of Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima.
The 22-year-old collected €24,000 to move to 12th place in the Challenge Tour Rankings and within sight of a place on the European Tour, where his 2007 Walker Cup team-mates David Horsey, Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett currently ply their trade.
Parry got off to the perfect start with a birdie at the first hole at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh, in south west France, and promptly added a further four to reach the turn in just 31.
He picked up four more shots after the turn to move out of sight and so claim his first professional title in his maiden season on the Challenge Tour, having gained his card last year through the EuroPro Tour Order of Merit.
Parry, who made just two bogeys across the four days, said: “It’s the lowest round of my professional career, and I picked quite a time to do it! To be honest, I’ve probably played as well on the first three days, but I didn’t hole any putts from 10 feet or more.”
Lima has already guaranteed his card for next season, but the Portuguese cemented his second place in the rankings behind leader Edoardo Molinari courtesy of a round of 67 which earned him €16,500, taking his winnings to €132,542.
He had briefly shared the lead after a birdie at the 13th hole, but a bogey at the 15th – combined with a birdie from Parry at the same hole – put pay to the Portuguese’s chances.
A round of 67 helped former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker of England to a share of third place on 18 under par, alongside Italian Federico Colombo and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts, who moves up to third place in the Rankings.
Overnight leader Antti Ahokas of Finland dropped back to a share of ninth place on 282 after he could only manage a level par round of 72.
A final round of 68 helped Jonathan Caldwell to a share of 17th place on 15-under-par 273, while Simon Thornton shot 71 for an eight-under-par total of 280.
