Parry finally hits the jackpot

LITTLE Australian Craig Parry became $1 million yesterday when he finally ended a 15-year wait for his first victory in America.

In his 236th US Tour event the 36-year-old known as Popeye stormed to a superb four-stroke victory in the NEC World Championship at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle.

And while he felt over the moon, Justin Rose could reflect on one of the best performances of his brief, but eventful career a joint fifth-place finish which earned him £121,974.

Parry did not drop a stroke in his closing 65 for a 16-under-par total of 268. Compatriot Robert Allenby and American Fred Funk were joint second and world number one Tiger Woods, trying to become the first player since Gene Sarazen in 1930 to win a tournament on the US Tour four years in a row, fourth.

When Rose completed his closing 68 he was lying joint second, but Allenby birdied the last four holes and both Funk and Woods birdied the par five 18th to go ahead of him as well.

Parry, 118th in the world, owed a debt of gratitude to Woods not for anything he did in this event, but for showing up at the New Zealand Open at the start of the year.

It was the presence of the Masters and US Open champion which boosted the world ranking points on offer and made it a qualifying event for the world championship. Parry won it.

Seven behind after his opening 72, the former European Tour member never shot worse than 66 after that and took charge with a hat-trick of birdies from the second.

Rose had seven birdies and outscored illustrious playing partners Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson, but four bogeys cost him his chance of a sensational victory on his world championship debut.

The 22-year-old from Hampshire, who had not played a professional tournament in America until last week's USPGA Championship, said: "It was a bit of an adventure, but a really good result."

Rose, three behind Parry and Allenby at the start of the day, opened with a 10-foot birdie putt, bogeyed the next two, but then birdied three of the next four to turn in 33.

When he holed from almost 25 feet at the 10th he was back in with a chance, but that was effectively snuffed out by bogeys on the next two.

He drove left at the long 11th and paid with his second bogey six, and then pulled his approach to the next into sand. Back he came again with two birdies, the 16th a humdinger because he cut a six-iron almost 50 yards in the air from behind a tree and hit it to 14 feet.

Parry, however, had turned in 31 and gave the chasing pack next to no hope by making a 15-footer at the 14th. His two-putt birdie at the last was pure icing on the cake.

Woods, joint leader until he bogeyed the last two holes of his third round, climbed back into second place, but could not summon up the same four-birdie finish he produced in the US PGA.

Allenby did that instead and he and Funk took home £266,718 each.

Rose earned a glowing tribute from Mickelson, whom he partnered on each of the last three days.

"He's a very talented player with a lot of game," said the world number two. "He strikes it very solid, hits it a long way, is an excellent putter and is just an all-round complete player. It surprised me that's he only 22. It seems like he's been around so long now and it's amazing the experience he has."

It was a good week too for Lee Westwood joint 15th place represented his best finish of a dire season and was a timely boost indeed with the Ryder Cup only a month away.

Darren Clarke was one shot further back in 19th place on four under, while Padraig Harrington closed with a 72 for three over and tied for 47th.