American Mike Cunning fired a final round 64 to win the OKI Castellón Senior Tour Championship as Boonchu Ruangkit sealed the 2010 European Senior Tour Order of Merit on a dramatic day in Spain.
Cunning had started the day three strokes behind joint overnight leaders Sam Torrance and Chris Williams but a titanic battle over the back nine saw him triumph, after a rare mistake from Torrance opened the door.
The 2002 Ryder Cup Captain was one shot behind Cunning with two holes to play but pulled his approach shot to the 17th some 30 yards wide of the green. He then found the greenside bunker with his third shot and splashed out 20 yards past the hole, eventually making a bogey six.
That effectively ended the Scot’s chances of continuing his sequence of winning in each of his full seasons on the Senior Tour – a record that stretched back to 2004 - as Cunning’s lowest Senior Tour round saw him finish on 14 under par 202 – one stroke clear of Spaniard José Rivero, who closed with a 66.
Torrance won the OKI Castellón Senior Tour Championship at Club de Campo del Mediterráneo in 2008 and sealed the Senior Tour Order of Merit at the venue last year but he had to settle for a share of third place with Paraguay’s Angel Franco this time round.
Instead it was Cunning who ended the season on a high, capturing his second Senior Tour title to go alongside his debut victory in the Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum at the start of the 2009 campaign.
“It’s a very special way to end the year, winning the last tournament of the season when I really needed to play well,” said the 52 year old.
“I was 42nd in the Order of Merit going into this event and my exemption from winning in Brunei was due to run out so I needed to force my way into the top 30 but to do it like this is special.
“I’ve played most of my life in Asia and that felt like home for me but it’s great to actually get a win on European soil. After two years of playing over here now it feels very special to win over here.”
Cunning posted nine birdies and just the single bogey on the fifth hole when his approach spun into the bunker and he failed to get up and down. It was a magnificent back nine of 31 that propelled him to the €64,433 first prize and moved him up to 14th in the end of season standings.
“I never seem to make it easy on myself,” said Cunning. “I actually chose to play in Japan last week and went from Spain to Japan and back to Spain so I’ve had some miles in planes these last few weeks. I was obviously a bit tired but something just clicked in my swing.
“I only made two bogeys all week and I putted really well today. It was one of those rounds that you dream about at night. To shoot 64 in the last round was kind of neat – I wasn’t expecting that at all.
“I was in the last group here last year but I played terrible in the wind on the final day and I shot a 78 to finish back in 18th. Today I went the other way up the leaderboard!”
The battle for the Order of Merit proved more straight forward by comparison, as Ruangkit showed exactly why he has been the dominant force this season with another remarkable run of birdies.
Ruangkit, who has won four times in 2010, began the day in 24th position knowing that Williams could snatch the John Jacobs Trophy if the South African won the season finale or finished second and Ruangkit ended up in a worse position than 28th.
That never looked likely as Ruangkit ended the year as impressively as he began it, with nine birdies in a superb 65 to share eighth place with defending champion Mike Harwood, Scotland’s Ross Drummond and Order of Merit rival Williams, whose challenge faded with a costly double bogey five on the fifth which contributed to his closing 73.
After consecutive victories in Brunei, Thailand, South Africa followed by his fourth title in Spain last month, Ruangkit follows Carl Mason (2007), and Ryder Cup winning Captains Ian Woosnam (2008) and Sam Torrance (2009) as winners of the Senior Tour Order of Merit.
“I feel very proud and happy to have won the John Jacobs Trophy,” said the 52 year old. “This is great for Thai golf and hopefully will help a new generation of Thai players.
“I didn’t really feel the pressure today. I thought if Chris Williams won he deserved to win the prize so I just focused on my game and tried to get the job done.
“This is a big moment for me in my career and I feel very proud to follow players like Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance as winners of the Order of Merit.”
Ruangkit finished his rookie season with earnings of €266,609, with Williams in second place, €39,259 behind. Franco, former Ryder Cup player Gordon Brand Jnr and Mason completed the top five.
Des Smyth carded a two under par final round of 70 to finish four under overall for a share of 17th place..
Denis O'Sullivan signed for a 74 to finish 2 over par.
