Tommy Horton won the opening
event of the European Seniors Tour season for a fourth successive season after
making up a four-shot deficit with a final round of 68, four under par, to win
the inaugural Royal Westmoreland Barbados Open by two strokes Saturday.
Trailing overnight leader
Jerry Bruner of America, Horton picked up four birdies in an outward half of
32 to move to eight under par and two clear after Bruner, who finished runner-up
four times in his rookie season last year, dropped two shots in the first three
holes. Horton held on to his lead over the closing stretch, getting up and down
from a bunker on the last for an eight under par total of 208 to win his 23rd
European Seniors Tour title.
"I played very well today,"
he said. "Hit a lot of good shots on the front nine and took the opportunities.
When I found the bunker on the last my heart sank but I played a really good
shot out and holed from six feet.
"It's been a marvellous
week here and I hope we come back again. But for now it's nice to get another
win under my belt."
Horton won the opening
event in Turkey in 1997, then triumphed in Spain the following year and then
last year won again in Turkey. On all three occasions he went on to win the Order
of Merit and this year he will be aiming to top the money list for a record fifth
consecutive season.
Victory in Barbados earned
him £16,205 (26,513 euro) and with it he became the first senior to become
a euro millionaire.
For Bruner it was yet another
runners-up finish as that elusive maiden victory continues to elude him. Last
year's Rookie of the Year, has now finished second five times in 18 events.
"It's just a matter of
time before I win one, Bruner said. "I'm hitting the ball so well, just not holing
any putts. But this has made me even more determined to win."
208 T Horton 70 70 68
210 J Bruner (USA) 70 66
74
211 B Shearer (Aus) 70
69 72
212 N Ratcliffe (Aus) 71
68, 73
213 A Croce (Ita) 72 69
72, D Jones 66 74 73
215 M Gregson 71 71 73,
G Burns (USA) 69 73 73, M Ballesteros (Spa) 69 72 74
216 D Oakley (USA) 71 72
73, A Tapie (USA) 73 69 74
217 B Hardwick (Can) 75
71 71, J Horton (USA) 69 71 77, I Stanley (Aus) 74 70 73, C Defoy 68 72 77
218 A Bardha (Alb) 72 74
72, R Carrasco (USA) 74 70 74, B Huggett 71 73 74
219 P Diniz (Bra) 74 71
74, H Inggs (Rsa) 74 69 76, D Creamer 71 70 78, N Job 68 73 78
220 P Townsend 73 75 72,
P Leonard 75 71 74
221 E Polland 73 74 74,
B Gallacher 71 74 76
222 J Garner 71 79 72
223 L Higgins 75 74 74,
A Garrido (Spa) 76 72 75, J McDermott 72 75 76, R Metherell (Aus) 76 70 77, J
Rhodes 73 72 78
225 B Waites 73 78 74,
D O'Sullivan 74 75 76, C Evans (USA) 73 73 79
