For a British golfer who played collegiately in
Alabama, Gary Christian sure seems to like it in
Pennsylvania.
Christian won the Nationwide Tour’s Mylan Classic on Sunday, shooting 4-under-par 67 to finish the
event at 17-under 267, good for a one-stroke advantage over third-round co-leader John Mallinger.
The victory at Southpointe Golf Club in Canons-burg, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh, is Christian’s first
since winning the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic in
2009 at Elmhurst Country Club, near Scranton.
Craig Bowden and Scott Brown were another
shot back at 269. J.J. Killeen led a trio of golfers in
fifth place at 270, and his finish was good enough to
bump him from second to first on The 25, the Nationwide’s money list, ahead of idle Mathew Goggin.
Christian, a 40-year-old pro, held down the No.
27 spot at the start of the weekend. But with the
win, the Auburn University product from Carshal-
ton, England, vaulted to the No. 4 spot,
virtually assuring his PGA Tour card for
2012.
Sunday’s play also featured a stunning rarity – the hole-in-one recorded
by India’s Rahil Gangjee on the par- 4
15th hole.
“I started it (driver) off left and let it
go to the right and then it bounced and
flattened out,” he said. “I thought I saw the ball
roll onto the green but I didn’t see it go in and then
everyone around the green went nuts.”
Rahil Gangjee
ELK-MCCARRON ENJOY PETER’S PARTY
As Arnold Palmer slowly walked up the 18th
fairway Tuesday at Portland (Oregon) Golf Club,
an Umpqua Bank Challenge official stood on the
green and told fans this might the last Northwest
tournament for the 81-year-old golf legend.
Palmer wasn’t sure about that, saying at his
age there’s “a little bit of everything in my mind.”
What is certain, though, is that the Challenge will
be back.
After an eight-year absence, Peter Jacobsen’s
36-hole charity tournament successfully resumed
on a smaller scale.
Steve Elkington and Scott McCarron romped to
the title, shooting a better-ball score of 24-under-
par 120 to win by six over Jay Haas and John Cook.
to read more.
LAW TOPS PRO FIELD IN ABERDEEN
A stunning final-day performance saw Scottish
Amateur champion David Law clinch an historic
victory in the Aberdeen Northern Open at Meldrum
House Friday.
The 20-year-old shrugged off the disappointment of not being selected for this weekend’s
Walker Cup to emerge from a strong field of
professionals and amateurs with a two-shot win
after a sensational morning round of 62 was followed up with a 68 to give him a 14-under-par
266 total.
to read more.
HEDWALL ADDS THIRD LET VICTORY
Rookie Caroline Hedwall landed her third
Ladies European Tour title Sunday as she came
from seven strokes behind overnight leader Kaisa
Ruuttila to triumph at the UNIQA Ladies Open
presented by Raiffiesen in Austria.
The 22-year-old from Barsebäck in Sweden
opened with a 73 to trail by six shots going into the
weekend and added a 67 Saturday.
to read more.
RUANGKIT TAKES EURO SENIOR TITLE
Thailand’s Boonchu Ruangkit won the European Senior Tour Travis Perkins Senior Masters at
Woburn Golf Club on Sunday.
Ruangkit posted rounds of 68-68-71 to finish on
9-under 207.
He earned €48,192. Gordon Brand Jr., who led
early in the final round, closed with a 74, including
three bogeys late in the day, and shared second
place on 5 under. The Scotsman was joined at that
figure by Englishmen Roger Chapman and Barry
Lane.
to read more.
MAHAN-KERR WIN BEGAY CHALLENGE
Hunter Mahan and Cristie Kerr combined to
win the Notah Begay Challenge charity event in
Verona, N. Y. on Wednesday, and Tiger Woods was
at least smiling as his pairing came in third.
Mahan and Kerr shot an 11-under 61 in the
best-ball format, coming in a stroke ahead of
Annika Sorenstam and Rickie Fowler. Woods and
LPGA Tour star Suzann Pettersen were third, two
strokes off the pace.
DA SILVA HOLDS ON IN SOUTH AFRICA
Adilson da Silva rampaged through the front
nine in 32 and closed at 4-under par to win the
R540,000 Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Sishen
Golf Club on Friday.
But the victory looked a little doubtful for a few
holes on the back nine as he dropped three shots
in three holes from the 12th to the 14th, letting
the opposition back at him after he had built up a
commanding four-stroke cushion.
to read more.
SHARP WINS EIGHT-HOLE PLAYOFF
Alena Sharp survived the longest playoff of her
career to win the PGA Women’s Championship of
Canada on Friday morning in Thornhill, Ont.
The LPGA Tour player from Hamilton made a
par on the eighth extra hole at Bayview Golf and
Country Club to defeat teenage amateur Anna
Kim.
It is Sharp’s second title at the championship, a
national event organized by the PGA of Canada and
celebrating its 25th year.
to read more.
