Golf: Verplank shows strange pick is fully justified

Scott Verplank justified United States Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange's decision to choose him as a wildcard selection by winning the $US3.8 million ($8.85 million) Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Verplank, 37, won his fourth PGA Tour event by shooting a final round of 67 for a 14-under total of 266 that was three shots better than Bob Estes and Joey Sindelar.

Verplank earned $US684,000 for the win.

John Daly, who won last week's European PGA Tour BMW International Open, finished fourth at 10-under-par, while Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Australian Paul Gow and Canadian David Moreland each finished at nine-under-par.

The three New Zealanders who made the cut failed to make an impact yesterday.

Left-handed amateur Gareth Paddison slipped back through the field after making the cut in equal 15th place, shooting four-over 74 yesterday to tie with compatriot Craig Perks, who had a 75, on 283 and finish 64th.

Steve Alker had the best finish of the three with a 69 to end at 281.

Strange's choice of Verplank as a Ryder Cup wildcard pick raised eyebrows last month, mainly because Verplank had no previous Ryder Cup experience. No captain has ever selected a rookie with his wildcard pick.

Verplank, who set the Royal Montreal 54-hole record of 11-under-par on Sunday, never lost control of the lead in the final round.

Gow and Daly each shared it with Verplank, but both faded on the back nine.

* New Zealander Stephen Scahill achieved two important goals at Crans-sur-Sierre, in Switzerland yesterday, despite letting slip the chance of winning the European Masters tournament.

Scahill began the closing round just two strokes from the lead but eventually ended with a share of sixth place, eight shots adrift of the winner, Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez, after shooting a disappointing three-over 74 to finish at 276.

He began the weekend aiming to pass through the £100,000 ($341,064) barrier on the European Tour for the season, and to secure his tour card for next season. He comfortably achieved both, despite his final round slip-up.

Gonzalez led from start to finish to win by three strokes, at 16-under par.

Dane Soren Hansen clinched second place at 13 under, with Scot Gary Orr and New Zealand Open-bound American Craig Stadler tied in third spot at 11 under par.

Scahill was chasing a maiden victory on the European Tour after winning twice before on the secondary Challenge Tour.

He got the perfect start to the last round with a first hole birdie to move to 12-under. But a triple bogey seven at the par four 14th followed by a bogey at 15 ruined all hope of a best result in Europe for the 31-year-old since a runner-up placing in the 1998 Madeira Island Open.

Scahill earned £30,540, boosting his earnings this year to £118,098, just £20,000 short of his combined earnings over the past five years on the main European Tour.

His finishing place has ensured Scahill a start in the next event on the European Tour, the Lancome Trophy in Paris, starting on September 20, where world No 1 Tiger Woods is also playing. Greg Turner, with a last round 71, tied for 16th place and Elliot Boult ended with a one-under-par 283.

* Sir Bob Charles finished in a tie for third in the European Invitational at Woburn, England.

He was two shots behind Australian Bob Shearer. Noel Ratcliffe, another Australian, was second at seven-under-par. New Zealanders Simon Owen and Barry Vivian finished in ties for 16th and 29th respectively.

- AGENCIES