Super granddad Seiji Ebihara birdied two of the last three holes to win his second AIB Irish Seniors Open on the trot at Adare Manor.

And to celebrate, the generous Japanese star immediately donated ¤10,000 of his ¤46,500 winner's cheque to the children's charity Barnardo's.

The 53 year old from Chiba only needed to par the last to win but birdied the hole instead to card a two under par 70 and a two-shot win over England's Denis Durnian on eight under par.

He said: "To share this joy, and the recent birth of my grandson Kentarou, I would like to donate ¤10,000 from my purse to an Irish charity for children.

"Winning the Irish Seniors title last year made me very popular in Japan and I am very happy to win here again.

"When I was tied for the lead on six under with three holes to play I didn't think I could do it but I came through in the end."

Durnian birdied the 17th to be tied for the lead playing the last but sliced his drive into the rough, laid up short of the river and then hit a poor wedge through the green.

Faced with a difficult downhill pitch over a mound, the Wigan native played a great shot to leave the ball four feet below the hole but missed the putt for a bogey.

"I didn't hit a bad shot all day until the last," groaned Durnian. "I was solid and tidy and then, well, I hit the crossbar.

"It's an intimidating shot into the last and I was trying to slide it in from left to right off the slope but I double-crossed it and turned it over, through the back. I really wanted to force Ebihara to make a four at the last."

Ebihara birdied the short 16th to go back into the lead and then birdied the last as well when he hit a three wood 250 yards and got up and down from the back of the green for his fourth birdie of the day.

Home hope Christy O'Connor Jnr battled a stabbing pain in his back to finish in a tie for third on four under par after a final round of 70.

But the Galwayman was disappointed with his finish having moved to within a shot of Durnian and Ebihara with four holes to play.

Four shots behind overnight leader Mike Miller, O'Connor went out in one under par to lie just three behind.

After missing birdies chances at the 12th and 13th, O'Connor birdied the 15th after his drive had ricocheted 40 yards off a tree into the centre of the fairway.

Back-to-back bogeys by Ebihara at the 13th and 14th put O'Connor right back in the championship but his challenge faded three from home when he found sand at the 16th to card his first bogey in 34 holes.

Said Junior: "I'm disappointed. I had to take six painkillers on the way round because of a stabbing pain in the small of my back.

"I couldn't get comfortable over the ball on the greens and I missed a lot of chances. At the 16th I hit a seven iron 180 yards. Incredible. I was only one behind and I was thinking of a 2-3-4 finish (birdie-birdie-birdie) which is possible around here."

Playing in the third last three ball alongside Durnian, O'Connor need to eagle the par five 18th to get to six under and give himself a chance of making a possible play-off.

After a huge drive the Galwayman hit a five wood 212 yards over the river to 40 feet but watched in agony as his eagle putt slid three feet past on the low side. In the end he missed the birdie putt to finish the championship on a low note.

"I thought I could make three at the last but I don't know how that five wood stopped so quickly. But I gave it a lash and it wasn't enough in the end.

"I've had fierce jabs of pain in the small of my back. I've had it all week. It's because I am putting pressure on it by walking in a strange way after breaking my leg."

O'Connor will fly out to the US today to play in the US Seniors Tour event in Grand Rapids, Michigan - a title he won two years ago.

Clareman Joe McDermott was just a shot behind starting the day but slumped to a disappointing 77 to finish in a tie for eighth, seven behind the winner.

Bangor's David Jones made a great comeback after an 18-month injury lay-off to go into the final round level with O'Connor Junior and Durnian on three under.

But he finished with a four over par 76, victim of a run of four bogeys in five holes from the sixth.

208 - S Ebihara (Jpn) 66, 72, 70 (¤46,500)
201 - D Durnian (Eng) 72, 69, 69 (¤31,000)
212 - C O'Connor Jnr (Irl) 73, 68, 71; J Rhodes (Eng) 70, 70, 72; J Grace (USA) 68, 71, 73 (¤17,587 each);
213 - B Lendzion (USA) 77, 70, 66; M Miller (Sco) 70, 67, 76 (¤11,780 each)
215 - J McDermott (Irl) 69, 69, 77; K MacDonald (Eng) 72, 71, 72;
216 - J Van Wagenen (USA) 70, 74, 72; J Horton (USA) 72, 73, 71; G Encina (Chi) 71, 69, 76; S Stull (USA) 70, 72, 74;
217 - D Jones (N Irl) 72, 69, 76; D Cambridge (Jam) 73, 73, 71; D Oakley (USA) 71, 72, 74;
218 - N Ratcliffe (Aus) 70, 74, 74; A Croce (It) 73, 71, 74; J Bruner (USA) 75, 70, 73; T Gale (Aus) 72, 72, 74;
219- J Chillas (Sco) 75, 72, 72; B Vivian (NZ) 72, 71, 76; J Morgan (Eng) 73, 70, 76; E Polland (N Irl) 71, 73, 75; D Good (Aus) 70, 73, 76; B Fleisher (USA) 74, 73, 72; n Coles (Eng) 74, 72, 73; R Carrasco (USA) 74, 72, 73; H Woodrome (USA) 68, 74, 77; R Weir (Sco) 72, 73, 74; D O'Suillivan (Irl) 68, 75, 76.
220 -
234 - C Defoy (Wal) 74, 82 78; B Jones (Aus) 79, 77, 78
238 - Dr A Spring (Irl) 80, 75, 83;
239 - L Owens (Irl) 79, 81, 79;
240 - B Verwey (SA) 82, 76, 82;
245 - T Halpin (Irl) 83, 78, 84;

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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