Tunnicliff gains maiden tour victory

Rank outsider Miles Tunnicliff clinched an emotional four-shot victory in the Great North Open on Sunday to fulfil the last wish of his dying mother.

Englishman Tunnicliff, whose best previous finish was a tie for sixth, fired a closing three-under-par 69 for a 72-hole total of nine-under 279.

Germany's Sven Struver was second after carding a 73 while Britons Bradley Dredge and Malcolm Mackenzie shared third after respective rounds of 70 and 71.

"Two days before my mother died from cancer two weeks ago, she told me to go out and win a tournament," said Tunnicliff, who plays most of his golf on the European Challenge Tour.

"Now I've done it. It's hardly believable. I dedicate this win to her. She gave me the strength and inspiration to do what I did today."

Against all the odds, the 33-year-old Englishman achieved his mother's wish by eclipsing the vastly more experienced David Gilford of Britain and three-time European Tour winner Struver on the last day.

Ryder Cup player Gilford and Struver had shared a one-stroke lead with Tunnicliff going into the final round but both players struggled over the first nine and were never able to maintain a genuine challenge.

Tunnicliff, who lives in Spain, chipped in twice for two of his five birdies on the day and never showing any sign of his inexperience after nervously bogeying the 429-yard first.

His only other error came with a dropped shot at the ninth, the toughest hole on the par-72 Slaley Hall layout, and he remained in front after sinking a birdie-putt from 25 feet at the third to return the best round of the day.

The Englishman's victory bid was inspired by his superb front nine of 30 during Saturday's third round and his recent struggles on the Challenge Tour, to where he returned in 1999, are now over.

Tunnicliff's maiden title on the European Tour earns him a playing exemption for the rest of this season -- and also for the next two years.

He played in this week's event at Slaley Hall only because of a weakened field and his first prize of $150,000 is more than he has made in the last three years.

"When I chipped in for the second time, I thought to myself: 'Someone's looking down on me and it could be my day'," said the first-time winner.

"This has changed my golfing career completely."

Second-placed Struver, who led or tied for the lead for the first two rounds, was delighted to produce his best finish for more than a year, despite costing himself any chance of victory with a front nine of 39.

"Coming into the week, if somebody had said to me I'd finish second, I'd have taken it right there and then," said the German. "I hope I can build on this now."

Gilford slipped down the leaderboard into a tie for 10th after mixing eight bogeys with just two birdies on the last day.

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