Golf Digest/EUROPEAN TOUR: Gary Murphy fired a third successive 68 to finish in a tie for third behind Spain's Alejandro Canizares, son of former Ryder Cup star Jose Maria, in the Russian Open yesterday.
Canizares (23), followed in the footsteps of his father, a seven-time winner on tour, shot a closing 66 to finish on 22 under at the Moscow Country Club, four shots clear of Scotland's David Drysdale.
Defending champion Mikael Lundberg also carded a six-under-par 66 to finish one shot further back in joint third alongside Murphy, on 17 under. That was worth €44,000 to the Irishman
"This is unbelievable. This means everything," said Canizares. "I was trying to get my card through exemptions and now I have done it by winning my third event so this is way beyond my expectations."
EUROPEAN SENIORS: Katsuyoshi Tomori rounded off his three-week sojourn to Europe in winning fashion after closing with a brilliant 66, five under par, to capture the Scandinavian Senior Open title. In triumphing at Helsingør Golf Club in Denmark, Tomori followed in the footsteps of Seiji Ebihara, Noboru Sugai and Dragon Taki by becoming the fourth Japanese on the European Seniors Tour.
He completed a winning 54-hole total of 14-under-par 199, two clear of overnight leader José Rivero of Spain and Ireland's Eamonn Darcy.
While Tomori was celebrating his maiden European victory, Darcy, who won €22,000, was feeling the familiar frustrations of finishing second.
The former Ryder Cup player, a winner of four titles in his heyday on the European Tour, has now played 35 times on the European Seniors Tour without tasting victory. He has finished second seven times and in the top 10 a further 10 times.
Darcy's putting problems resurfaced on the final day at Helsingør Golf Club and he closed with a 69 that contained six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Des Smyth entered yesterday's final round of the Greater Seattle Classic in a tie for fourth place on nine under par, three shots behind leader Don Pooley.
LET: Sweden's Linda Wessberg captured her first tour title at the Wales Ladies' Championship of Europe at the Machynys Peninsula GC, in Llanelli.
She shot a closing 71 to hold of England's Laura Davies by one shot.
There was an impressive professional debut for 17-year-old Curtis Cup player Kiran Matharu. The Leeds youngster eagled the last for a 71 and finished tied 15th.
