Carl Mason wins in Benahavis
Srixon Cleveland staff player Carl Mason claimed his 25th European Senior Tour title at the Benahavis Senior Masters after the Englishman’s two under par final round of 69 handed him a three shot victory at La Quinta Golf and Country Club in Benahavis, Spain.
The 58 year old’s victory earned him €27,000 and saw him leap into eighth spot in the Senior Tour Order of Merit, came after successive birdies on the second and third holes lifted him to the summit early on alongside overnight leader Gary Wolstenholme, before the six-time Walker Cup player dropped three shots, including a double-bogey at the par three eighth, to slip back.
Mason did set up a nervy finish after bogeys on the 13th and 14th meant he was just two shots clear of the resurgent Wolstenholme, who birdied the 12th and 14th to move to seven under, but Mason steadied the ship to finish nine under for the tournament and clinch the victory.
“I played really well and I'm delighted with the win,” said the two-time European Tour winner, “I was happy to be under par, especially on the back nine, which was really tricky.
“It was just a case of keeping patient, you always felt like you were going to drop another shot on that back nine but I was pleased, I played some lovely stuff on the front nine and then hung on well.
Having already broken the record for Senior Tour wins this year, it may have seemed easy to take the foot off the brakes somewhat but Mason is still hungry for success and hopes there are many more to come.
Carl Mason plays Srixon's Z-Star golf ball line-up.
Elsewhere...
Jason Kokrak wins Miccosukee Championship
Srixon Cleveland staff player Jason Kokrak needs to set some new goals for himself. The 26-year-old Ohio resident picked up the winner's trophy and check at the Miccosukee Championship, giving him two Nationwide Tour wins in five weeks and locking up a berth on the PGA TOUR in 2012.
"This is beyond my imagination. I don't know if it will hit me for a while," he said after polishing off a rain-soaked, 5-under 66 for a seven-stroke victory in Miami. "I would never have dreamt this. At the beginning of the year you set goals that you want to meet and then you set some that maybe are a little out of reach. I've already exceeded all the goals that I set for myself this year."
Kokrak went nearly wire-to-wire while becoming the Tour's fourth two-time winner this season. His 20-under-par 264 total smashed the tournament record by four strokes. His seven-stroke win over South Carolina's Mark Anderson matched the fifth-best winning margin in Tour history.
Jason Kokrak plays Srixon's Z-Star golf ball line-up.
Taking the total Wins for Z-Star golf ball line-up in 2011 to date to 29.