GOLF Doral Open and European Seniors tour: Ireland's Denis O'Sullivan captured the first event of the 2005 European Seniors Tour season at the DGM Barbados Open yesterday.
The 56-year-old from Cork took the €29,752 first prize at the Royal Westmoreland Golf Club with a 10-under-par, three-round aggregate of 206 to collect the sixth Seniors Tour title of his career - and his first since 2002 when he won the Tunisian Open.
O'Sullivan finished the tournament on 10-under-par 206 after a final round of 70 and three shots ahead of John Grace of the USA, with Seniors Tour Order of Merit holder Carl Mason of England in fourth place on five under par, and Scotland's Sam Torrance in a tie for 10th position after a disappointing final round of seven-over-par 79.
"I'm delighted," said O'Sullivan, as he collected the DGM Barbados Open trophy, and the winner's cheque that puts him at the top of the Seniors Tour Order of Merit. "I put in a good performance this week and I was due one when you consider the fact that I was rubbish last year. It feels great to have won again and it was good to be playing under real pressure again.
"I got off to a great start today by birdieing two of my first three holes which helped calm me down as none of the other lads around me were making any real move.
"I had a nasty double bogey at the sixth, but apart from that I played well and I am just delighted to have won again."
Eddie Polland finised well off the pace on 224 after a final round of 76 for a three-round total of 224.
England's John Morgan - who finished the tournament in a tie for eighth place alongside Canadian Bruce Heuchan on one-under-par 215 - won the first Super Seniors prize of 2005.
BARBADOS OPEN (Royal Westmoreland): Final totals: 206 - D O'Sullivan (Irl) 68 68 70, 209 - J Gracer (US) 70 66 73, 210 - E Rodriguez (Spa) 71 68 71, 211 - C Mason (Eng) 67 72 72, T Gale (Aus) 73 70 69, 212 - 73 70 69, N Job (Eng) 69 75 68, 214 - DJ Russell (Eng) 75 69 70 215 - B Heuchan (Can) 72 72 71, J Morgan (Eng) 73 72 70, 216 - L Carbonetti (Arg) 77 68 71, D Durnian (Eng) 71 74 71, D Good (Aus) 72 71 73, P Oakley (US) 71 70 75, S Torrance (Sco) 71 66 79, G Watine (Fra) 70 73 73, 217 - G Cali (Ita) 71 73 73, H Carbonetti (Arg) 73 70 74, 218 - D Cambridge (Jam) 71 71 76, B Cameron (Eng) 75 73 70, T Charnley (Eng) 72 74 72, 219 - R Caldwell (US) 77 70 72, B Longmuir (Sco) 72 74 73, M Pinero (Spa) 72 74 73, J Rhodes (Eng) 72 75 73, A Sowa (Arg) 74 75 71. 224 - E Polland (Irl) 71 77 76.
