AMATEUR
Funk Claims Crane Cup,
Simson Tops Senior Division
PALM CITY, FLORIDA | Southern Californian Robert
Funk overtook second-round leaders John En-
gler and Steve Harwell to win the inaugural Crane
Cup, played at Floridian in Palm City, Fla. Funk,
who made a hole-in-one in the second round, shot
3-over-par 216 to win by a shot over Engler and
first-round leader Matt Bianchini.
Engler appeared to have the tournament in hand
as he strode to the 18th tee of the blustery final
round with a two-shot lead. His tee shot found a
fairway bunker on the 493-yard final hole and his
second shot landed on the green but ran off into a
marina behind the green. His fourth shot landed on
the green but rolled back off, leading to a disas-
trous triple-bogey seven. Funk, who had birdied
the 17th to pull within two, lipped out his eight-foot
birdie try and tapped in for the victory.
Funk acknowledged being surprised by the win,
claiming that he really didn’t play all that well. “I
scraped it around but kept a good attitude,” the
2006 Trans-Miss champion said afterward.
Engler and Harwell entered the final round tied
at even-par 142, one ahead of Funk and Bianchini.
Engler shot a splendid 4-under 67 after opening with
75. He played steadily before his 18th hole melt-
down. He shot 4-over 217 to finish T2 with Bianchini.
In the Senior Division, steely veteran Paul Sim-
son notched yet another win, beating Chip Lutz by
six shots. Simson took the first-round lead with a
1-over-par 72, and then posted a 2-under 69 in the
calm second round to take a four-shot lead over
Lutz. He shot even-par 71 in the final round to fin-
ish at 1-under-par 212.
“I played pretty solid,” observed Simson, who
had not played a round of golf since New Year’s
Day before he arrived at Floridian. “This was a
nice way to come out of the mothballs.”
RESULTS
CRANE CUP NOTEBOOK
John Engler’s second-round 67 is the competitive
course record. The non-competitive course record
was set in December by Furman University senior
Matt Broome, who shot 65 despite four bogeys.
Robert Funk aced the 163-yard eighth hole in
the second round with a 9-iron.
Tournament host Kevin Marsh shot 10-over-par
223 and finished in the middle of the pack. l
Jim Nugent
Twice a bridesmaid this season,
Queensland’s Daniel Nisbet finally found suc-
cess in his homeland, winning the Lake Mac-
quarie International Men’s Championship by
three shots at Belmont on Sunday in Australia.
In winning, Nisbet avenged a painful defeat at
the hands of his archrival, German star Marcel
Schneider. Two weeks ago, Schneider rallied
with four birdies in the last six holes to defeat
Nisbet in the Australian Amateur final at the
Woodlands. The week before, Nisbet was a dis-
tant runner-up to Nathan Holman in the Master
of the Amateurs.
Nisbet chased down 54-hole leader Schnei-
der with a final round of 1-under-par 71 on a
course buffeted by strong northeasterly winds.
With previous rounds of 65-68-69, he finished
on 15-under 273. That was three shots better
than reigning Australian Strokeplay champion
Cameron Smith, who closed with a 68.
Schneider, 15 under entering the final round,
wielded a balky putter that left him with a closing
78. Still, he finished in fifth place on 9-under 279.
RESULTS
MAGUIRE SECOND IN PORTUGUESE AM
13th and 14th holes, and after further birdies
on 16th and 17th, she stood just one shot adrift
on the 18th tee.
Maguire missed the green to the right and
Roeller found the front edge. Roeller proceeded
to hole from the full length of the green, win-
ning her first title by three strokes after a gut-
ted Maguire failed to get up and down.
Maguire finished with a 68 and a 286 total. Her
twin sister, Lisa, finished fourth on 3-over 291.
RESULTS
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WAGR UPDATE
