GOLF DIGEST: US TOUR: Pádraig Harrington shot his third successive 67 to move to within one shot of the lead after the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston yesterday.
Birdies at the first, second, 15th and 18th gave the Dubliner a 54 hole total of 12-under-par 201 - just one off the lead set by Steve Stricker, Retief Goosen and overnight leader Sean O’Hair.
Stricker shot a third round six-under-par 65, Goosen shot 68 while O’Hair a one-under-par 70 to share the lead on 200.
Harrington shares second place with Kevin Na and Scott Verplank while Tiger Woods carded an uninspired one-over-par 72 to slip out of contention for the title. Woods did not make a birdie until the 15th hole, posting a four-under 209 total in a testing breeze at the Boston TPC.
SENIORS: Tony Johnstone's remarkable recovery from multiple sclerosis continued yesterday as he edged out Peter Senior by one shot to win the Travis Perkins Senior Masters at Woburn.
Johnstone was told he would never play golf again due to the disease, but revolutionary new treatment has enabled him to make a competitive comeback.
He won in Jersey last year and was too strong for Senior yesterday, his final-round 66 seeing him get the better of the Australian, who could only manage a 71.
A seventh birdie of the day on the 17th gave Johnstone the lead and a hole later he tapped in a par putt for a winning 10-under-par total of 206.
It was a first victory over the Duke’s Course for the Zimbabwean after a number of near misses over the years, notably in the 1992 British Masters to Christy O’Connor Jnr when he lost a play-off.
“I have always had this feeling inside me that one day I would win a tournament round here,” said Johnstone.
“I have lost a play-off and had a couple of seconds and thirds. From the first time I ever played this course it has been one of my four favourites anywhere in the world and to win around here is just wonderful.
“Pete played really well, but his putter went cold which is unusual for him as he uses that broomhandle like a wand normally. And unfortunately mine was seriously hot today. I just putted the eyes out of it. It is a lovely feeling to be doing that again. It’s a great feeling.”
CHALLENGE TOUR: Welshman Rhys Davies won his second Challenge Tour title of the season after a one stroke victory over Swede Steven Jeppesen in the Fred Olsen Challenge de Espana on the Canary Islands.
A final round of 67, four under par, at Tecina Golf on La Gomera took the 24 year old to 17-under-par 267 while Jeppesen, who shared the lead with Davies going into the final round, closed with a 68 to finish runner-up for the fifth time in his career.
Victory moved Davies a step closer to joining The European Tour as he advanced to sixth on the Challenge Tour Rankings with € 74,024 while one more win will secure immediate promotion to The top flight.
Davies made six birdies in an epic final day battle, notably with Jeppesen, and it was the last of these, on the 17th, which secured the title as he hit a two iron to ten feet on the par five and while the eagle putt refused to drop, the resultant birdie was good enough to keep his nose in front.
