Golf Digest/SENIORS TOUR: For the second year running Eamonn Darcy suffered heartache on the final day of the Sharp Italian Seniors Open in Venice.
Beaten in a play-off by Frenchman Gery Watine in 2005, this time around the Irishman faded in regulation play and finished second again after a closing 71 left him four adrift of Sam Torrance, who shot a 67.
"Today I played a bit like I had expected to play all week," Darcy said. "I tried to keep going for my shots but I was still a little tentative. It's all down to my lack of golf over the winter. If someone had told me I would finish second beforehand I would have certainly taken it."
The victory - his fifth on the European Seniors Tour and his 37th as a professional - came as a timely boost for Torrance who on Thursday will tee up at Oak Tree Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma, for the US Senior PGA Championship.
Cork's Denis O'Sullivan, troubled all week by a swollen knee, finished down in 33rd place on six over, while Eddie Polland was in the group a shot further back.
LET TOUR: Gwladys Nocera of France claimed her first European Tour title and a prize of €110,000 yesterday at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open in Golf Gerre Losone.
Nocera, who has been runner-up four times in the last two seasons, won by three shots from England's Laura Davies.
Nocera's record 63 in the third round moved her to within one shot of the lead, and she carded a final round of 71 to claim the title at 15-under-par 273.
Ireland's Rebecca Coakley finished on three-over-par 291 after a final round of 71.
LPGA TOUR: Mexico's star Lorena Ochoa shot a final round 66 for a five-under-par total of 208 to take her second win this year at the Sybase Classic in New York.
Ochoa had two shot to spare over Hee-Won Han and Kyeong Bae in the 54-hole tournament, which was reduced from 72 holes due to inclement weather.
PGA TOUR: Tim Heron and Rod Pampling opened a two-shot gap after 10 holes of the final round in Bank of America Colonial tournament in Texas.
The pair were 10 under par and two ahead of Nathan Green and Richard Johnson.
The clubhouse target was set at nine-under by Players Championship winner Stephen Ames, who improved 14 strokes on his nightmare Saturday round of 77, which had dropped him from second to 38th, Ben Crane and Brett Quigley at 271.
BRABAZON TROPHY: Robert Dinwiddie overcame miserable conditions to win the Brabazon Trophy at Ganton yesterday.
The 23-year-old carded a closing 69 for 282, two under par, for a three-stroke margin over Surrey's Ross McGowan, who finished with 73.
Rory McIlroy shared eighth place on 293 after a final round of 71. Greg Bowden shot 77 for 298, while Niall Kearney took 79 in the difficult conditions for a total of 301. Aaron O'Callaghan was two shots back on 303 after a disappointing 84.
