Farry is fifth maiden winner on Euro Tour this year

IN a disappointing tournament for Irish players, Marc Farry became the fifth first-time winner on the European Senior Tour in 2010 when he held off a spirited challenge from Ross Drummond to win the Handa Irish Senior Open presented by Fáilte Ireland.

The Frenchman fired a final round 69 to finish on ten under par at Carton House GC in Co. Kildare, two strokes clear of Scotsman Drummond who was runner-up for the fourth time in four seasons on the Senior Tour.

Farry, who held a one shot overnight lead from Scottish pair Drummond and Sandy Lyle, settled any nerves immediately when he drained a 15ft birdie putt on the first hole after both Drummond and two-time Major champion Lyle began with poor tee shots.

Drummond hit back with consecutive birdies on the second and third holes for a brief share of the lead but Farry picked up shots on the fourth and eighth holes to move to ten under par, one stroke clear heading into the back nine after Drummond birdied the ninth hole.

Both players then bogeyed the tenth hole before play was suspended for an hour due to the threat of thunder and lightning and Drummond dropped another shot on the 12th hole immediately after the re-start.

The Scot applied some pressure by reclaiming that on the 15th but Farry, who had posted steady run of six consecutive pars after his bogey, produced a vital birdie on the 17th hole to seal the victory.

“It means a lot to me to win,” said the 50-year-old. “It takes a while to come back when you’ve played the main Tour and you lose your card and then you are too young to play on the Senior Tour. There’s a gap of a couple of years and last year I played four or five tournaments and wasn’t really on the mark.

“Now I’m really into the Senior Tour and two top ten finishes in the last two tournaments shows that I’m ready.

Farry follows Kevin Spurgeon, Boonchu Ruangkit, Tom Lehman and Gordon Brand Jnr as the other maiden Senior Tour winners this season and he becomes the first French player to win on the Senior Tour since Gery Watine in 2005.

In succeeding Ian Woosnam as winner of the Handa Irish Senior Open presented by Fáilte Ireland, Farry adds a Senior Tour title to the BMW International Open he won on The European Tour in 1996.

“It was a tough day with the lightning delay and Ross Drummond was playing and putting so well so it was such a relief to win,” he said. “I made a great shot on the 17th and the gap was made then so I was very pleased.

“I said yesterday that I needed to make a few putts so to start was a 15ft putt on the first was great. Then I was three under after nine and playing well but we stopped and it’s never easy to restart.

“Ross seemed to be making every putt so it was a relief that I won. My tee shot on 17 was probably the shot of the week. I hit the perfect shot.”

Ryder Cup winning Captain Sam Torrance posted a final round 69 to finish 17th, while Eamonn Darcy was the leading Irishman in a share of 20th.