SENIORS TOUR: Eamonn Darcy's challenge was blunted somewhat during yesterday's third round of the PGA Seniors Championship at Stoke by Nayland, in Suffolk.
After a promising start, in which he bagged two birdies by the seventh, the Druids Glen player dropped shots at the ninth, 11th, 12th and 15th. His only consolation came at the long 16th where he was up in two for his third birdie of the round.
A one-over 73 left him on a 207 aggregate in ninth place. That leaves him eight shots behind surprise leader Italian Giuseppe Cali, who overshadowed the favourite, Sam Torrance, with a six-under 66 for 199, three ahead of the Scot.
CHALLENGE TOUR: England's James Heath put on a stunning final day show to secure his maiden professional victory at the European Challenge Tour's ECCO Tour Championship.
The 23-year-old posted a magnificent final round of eight-under-par 62 to win by three strokes from Denmark's Thomas Norret, taking the first prize of €20,800. Roope Kakka of Finland and Felipe Aguilar of Chile were a shot back on 15 under par.
Victory propelled Heath to the cusp of a place on the 2007 European Tour as he moved from 47th to 15th on the rankings.
His final round was a superb effort, especially as it was interrupted by thunder storms midway through the afternoon.
LET TOUR: England's Laura Davies claimed her first victory in more than two years at the SAS Masters in Norway yesterday.
The 42-year old fired a blistering final round of four-under 68 to win by six strokes on 11-under-par 205 at Oslo Golf Club, where she also won in 2002.
Davies last won the 2004 Women's Australian Open two years and five months ago and had finished second four times on the European Tour this summer.
Davies, who fired 69 and 68 in her first two rounds, began her final round with a two-stroke lead and started the day with a flourish by eagling the par-five second hole on her way to a front nine of one-under 35.
It was at the par-five 15th when she made a decisive move, hitting a two-iron approach to two feet from 220 yards and holing the putt.
Ellen Smets of Belgium had a 70 and finished second on five under par.
It was Smets' best career finish on the LET and she claimed €20,300 in prize money.
Australian rookie Nikki Garrett carded a final round of 70 to tie for third on four-under-par with the first-round leader Virginie Lagoutte of France, who had a 71.
Sweden's Cecilia Ekelundh finished fifth on three-under while five players tied for sixth on one-under-par including last week's Wales Ladies Champion Linda Wessberg of Sweden.
