Canonica claims first Tour win

Italian Emanuele Canonica, four times the European tour’s biggest hitter, today finally achieved what he most wanted – a tournament victory.

Canonica, twice a runner-up in 230 previous events stretching back to 1989, came from two behind to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The 34-year-old from Turin, at 5ft 4in the smallest player on the circuit by half an inch from Ian Woosnam, shot a closing 71 for a seven under total of 281.

It gave him a two-stroke victory over English pair Barry Lane and David Lynn, Welshman Bradley Dredge and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, the overnight leader.

Only 106th on the Order of Merit and 353rd in the world, Canonica earned £233,330, the biggest pay-day of his career.