Australia's Noel Ratcliffe finally shook off his runners-up tag in Ireland with a one shot win in the Û330,000 AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor yesterday.

Beaten in a play-off for the title at Woodbrook in 1998, and second in 1997 and 1999, he carded a final round 73 to finish on five under par - one shot clear of Jamaican Delroy Cambridge, Scot Martin Gray and American Bob Lendzion.

Ratcliffe pocketed a cheque for ¤49,500 but he needed nerves of steel at the last to clinch a winning par five and his seventh European Seniors Tour title.

He said: "At Woodbrook I come up the last leading by one and made a mess of my pitch and lost to Joe McDermott in a play-off.

"I was second to Tommy Horton at St Margaret's in 1997 and to John Morgan and Mount Juliet in 1999 so it's nice to knock one off at last."

One behind Cambridge starting the day, he led by three shots after eight holes and by two with two to play but ended up winning on the 18th in a tense finish.

The lead changed hands four times before Ratcliffe faced the last three holes with a one shot advantage over Scotland's Martin Gray.

But Gray dropped three shots in the last four holes and his clubhouse target on four under par proved to be one too many.

Two clear of Cambridge playing the par four 17th, Ratcliffe pulled his tee shot into the bushes and couldn't find his ball within the regulation five-minute search period.

Forced to return to the tee, he finished with a double bogey six that left him tied with Cambridge on five under playing the 544 yard, par-five 18th.

The Jamaican's drive finished 20 yards right of the fairway, behind some trees and when he duffed his recovery the title was Ratcliffe's for the taking.

Ratcliffe also missed the fairway right but played a low seven iron recovery between the trees then punched the same club 15 feet and comfortably two-putted for a par and the title as Cambridge failed to save par from 20 feet.

Ulster's Paul Leonard, closed with a two under par 70 to finish as the leading Irishman in a tie for 12th on two over par after changing his clubs before the round.

Denis O'Sullivan and Christy O'Connor Jnr were the next best of the Irish on six over par after closing rounds of 73 and 75.

Meanwhile Waterville's Liam Higgins ended up with a ¤500 fine after failing to turn up for the presentation ceremony to pick up the ¤1,500 Super Seniors prize for the over 60s.

Higgins, who turned 60 in November, thought that England's Malcolm Gregson had beaten him by two shots.

He was on his way home when he was told that Gregson does not turn 60 until August 15.

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© Brian Keogh 2003

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