KIERAN STAUNTON enjoyed play-off success to win the PokerMillion.com European Trophy at the Marriott Sprowston Manor, Norwich on Friday July 9.
The Woodcote Park golfer picked up a cheque for £10,000 after defeating former European Tour player Paul Curry at the first extra hole.
Both players had finished level on five-under-par 205 after the three-day event but Staunton held his nerve to claim what he described as the biggest and best win of his career.
Rounds of 69, 67 and 69 were enough for him to take the title whilst Curry, who carded 69, 66 and 70, had to settle for £5,000 to take back to his Braintree home.
With unfavourable weather conditions blighting much of the tournament, low scores were at a premium and it was no surprise that an outright winner could not be easily found.
In the end, Staunton recorded a par at the long final hole whilst Curry could only manage a bogey six.
Irishman Ciaran McMonagle was a single shot behind in outright third place whilst Stephen Pullan led the rest of the field home, a further four shots adrift of McMonagle on 210, level-par.
In addition, Lee Slattery, who has only finished outside of the top ten three times of the 2004 PGA EuroPro Tour, picked up a cheque for £10,000 for winning the ‘Marriott Bonus’.
The Marriott Hotel Group have sponsored three events on the tour this year and they provided an added incentive of the prize money for the player who performed the best over the trio of tournaments.
Slattery’s win at Marriott Goodwood Park and level fourth at Marriott Tudor Park were enough to see him hold off the other two winners – Staunton and David Close – to claim the bounty.
LEADERBOARD – FINAL STANDINGS (click [url=https://europrotour.com/tournament_detail.asp?tournament_id=46]here[/url] for full scores)
POS. | SCORE | -PAR+ | NAME | REPRESENTS | R1 | R2 | R3 | £PRIZE |
1 | 205 | -5 | Kieran Staunton (ENG) | Woodcote Park | 69 | 67 | 69 | 10,000.00 |
2 | 205 | -5 | Paul Curry (ENG) | Braintree | 69 | 66 | 70 | 5,000.00 |
3 | 206 | -4 | Ciaran McMonagle (IRE) | Dunfanaghy GC | 70 | 66 | 70 | 2,500.00 |
4 | 210 | Par | Stephen Pullan (ENG) | Romana | 71 | 69 | 70 | 1,825.00 |
5= | 211 | +1 | Paul Mayoh (ENG) | Kings Lynn | 74 | 69 | 68 | 1,375.00 |
Graham Fox (SCO) | Scotland | 73 | 66 | 72 |