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Brand clinches back-to-back wins

Monday, 1 September 2008
Paula Benn
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England’s Gordon J. Brand saw his rich run of form continue when he closed with a two under par 70 to win his second European Seniors Tour title in the space of seven days at the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters at Woburn Golf Club.

The previous weekend Brand needed six extra holes to see off the challenge of Gordon Brand Jnr at the De Vere PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall but this time he birdied the first to move in front and then recorded further birdies on the fourth, ninth, 11th and 18th to finish two shots in front of Spain’s Juan Quiros and three ahead of defending champion Carl Mason on nine under par 207.

The win was worth €46,986 (£37,500) and took his earnings for the two tournaments to €110,446 (£97,500).

The back-to-back victories also mean that Brand travels to this week’s Casa Serena Open in the Czech Republic knowing that another good performance could see him put pressure on both Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer at the top of the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit.

“It’s been a great seven days for me,” said Brand who has now won five times since turning 50 almost exactly three years ago. “I was excited last week but I think I feel even better this time.

“This is a massive event and the crowds have been fantastic all week.”

Mason started the day three shots behind overnight leader Quiros but when the Spaniard hit his opening drive out-of-bounds to run up an ugly double bogey seven it look as if he might be Brand’s nearest challenger. However the Spaniard did not let that early upset affect him and two closing birdies gave him a one over par 73 and pipped Mason for second place.

“It wasn’t to be”, said Mason after singing for a one under par 71. “I played well. I only dropped one shot but I couldn’t get quite close enough to put any pressure real on Gordon.

“He played very well.”

Further down the leaderboard first round leader Angel Franco closed with a 73 to claim fourth place just ahead of Ireland’s Eamonn Darcy and Australia’s Stewart Ginn while Italian Ryder Cup star Costantino Rocca overcame a ruinous nine on the 537-yard par-5 14th to post a 74 and finish tied in seventh place alongside English trio Peter Mitchell, Nick Job and Jim Rhodes on level par 216.

Meanwhile Order of Merit leader Woosnam dropped three shots over his last five holes but still returned a 73 that saw him climb into a share of eleventh place with Horacio Carbonetti and Seiji Ebihara on one over par 217.
Mark James closed with a two over par 74 on finish in a tie for 14th place on two over par 218 while Scotland’s Sam Torrance was one shot further back after a final round 71.

Leading final scores

207 - G.J. Brand (Eng) 70
209 – J. Quiros (Sp) 73
210 – C. Mason (Eng) 71
213 – A. Franco (Par) 73
215 – S. Ginn (Aus) 71, E. Darcy (Ire) 75
216 – N. Job (Eng) 72, C. Rocca (It) 74, P. Mitchell (Eng) 75, J. Rhodes (Eng) 77
217 – I Woosnam (Wal) 73, S. Ebihara (Jap) 73, H. Carbonetti (Arg) 77
218 – B. Cameron (Eng) 73, M. James (Eng) 218, L. Carbonetti (Arg) 74
219 – P. Oakley (USA) 70, S. Torrance (Sco) 71, K. Tomori (Jap) 72, A. Murray (Eng), T. Johnstone (Zim) 72
220 – K. Spurgeon (Eng) 75, D. Durnian (Eng) 75, G. Brand Jnr (Sco) 76