Tour News: Spain's Jose Manuel Lara fought off a spirited challenge from rookie Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines to win the Hong Kong Open by a stroke yesterday.
Lara, who had led the tournament after each of the first three days, held his nerve to secure a maiden European Tour victory with a 15-under-par 265 total after a final round 69.
"Today was a very, very tough day for me . . . I really concentrated on my own game," said Lara, who had felt his five-year winless streak weighing heavily on his shoulders.
"I tried to be in my bubble, in my own game. It's a great victory," he said.
Lara saved what he called his shot of the tournament for the end when he salvaged a wayward drive into the rough by chipping superbly onto the green for a par finish.
The win is the Valencia native's first since turning professional in 1997 after the world number 127th finally managed to go one better than second-placed finishes at last year's Wales Open and Mallorca Classic and the European Open in July.
"You can't believe how many people say to me every week: "when are you going to win?", and now I can say to them, I've won," said Lara with a laugh. So it's a really important moment in my life."
His adversary Pagunsan, who only turned professional in January, played superb, fluid golf to take the lead halfway through the round. But the 16th hole turned the outcome when he bogeyed and Lara sank a long birdie putt to regain the lead. The 28-year-old, whose ready smile delighted the crowds at the Hong Kong Golf Club, had no regrets, though.
"I'm really happy today . . . I think I'm very lucky this year, so much luck," he said with a laugh.
Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee finished joint-third on 12 under, along with Asian Tour order of merit leader Jeev Milkha Singh and his Indian compatriot, Jyoti Randhawa.
Miguel Angel Jimenez, the ponytailed Spaniard who won in Hong Kong two years ago, dropped a shot on the 18th to finish 11 under along with Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen.
Earlier in the day, promising Chinese Liang Wen-chong fired a hole-in-one at the 140-yard 12th hole, winning himself a $20,000 gold bar.
Peter Lawrie finished on four-under-par 276 after a final round of 70 while Damien McGrane was two shots back on 278 after a 71.
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie fizzled in his bid to become only the second player to retain the Hong Kong Open title since 1959, shooting an even-par 70 to finish tied for 19th.
• AUSTRALIAN TOUR: John Senden shot a course record seven-under-par 65 at Royal Sydney to surge up the leaderboard in the final round of the Australian Open and register a one-stroke victory yesterday.
The 35-year-old Queenslander started the day four shots behind overnight leader Nathan Green in eighth place but stormed home to finish in front with a 72-hole total of eight-under 280.
US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy closed with a 67 to finish one shot behind in outright second after missing a long birdie putt on the 18th that would have forced a play-off.
Stuart Appleby (68) and Gavin Coles (70) tied for third at six under while Green (72) and US PGA Tour Championship winner Adam Scott (68) finished equal fifth, another shot back.
Irish amateur champion Rory McIlroy finished on 301 after rounds of 74, 74, 76 and 77.
• PGA TEAM: The Irish trio of Robert Giles, John Dwyer and Leslie Walker finished second to Scotland in the PGAs of Europe 72-hole international team golf championship at Roda Golf Resort, Murcia in Spain.
The Scots, leaders from day one, shot a total of 547 (two cards to count in each round) to beat Ireland (550) by three shots.
Giles also finished second in the individual race to Scotland's Craig Lee.
• LPGA: Just two days after her 20th birthday, Paraguay's Julieta Granada became the first woman golfer to land a $1 million first prize thanks to a brilliant final round 68 at yesterday's ADT Championship at Trump International in Florida.
In the new play-off format for the end-of-season Championship, the top eight players after 54 holes faced an 18-hole shoot-out for the bumper prize. And Granada held her nerve at West Palm Beach to win with a flawless four-birdie round - by two shots.
Mexico's Lorena Ochoa, who has finished the season as the LPGA's Player of the year and the top money earner, finished in second place on 70 while Australia's Karrie Webb was third on 71.
It was a fairytale end to a first year on the tour for Granada, who had her mother, Rosa, as her caddie.
