On a 54 holes course, from 20 to 22 May. With champions over 50 from all around the world. At the end of the third day the Frenchman Waitine defeated the Irish Darcy, at the first play-off hole. With a thrilling final, the Nokia 9300 Italian Seniors Open, international golf tournament at its second edition, closed on Sunday 22 May at the Venice Golf Club at Alberoni, in the Lido of Venice. In the competition, with 54 holes to complete in three days, reserved for big champions from all the world who have over 50 years, the French Gery Watine won at the first play-off hole on the Irish Eamonn Darcy by holing a 5 metres putt, and he jumped at the head of the European Order of Merit. There were 74 participants, including the great golf legend Sam Torrance. The prize money amounted to 170 thousand euros.

Title sponsor of the Open was Nokia, a Finnish company leader in mobile communications; supporters of the event were Lino Sonego in quality of gold sponsor; SsangYong Motor as official car; Pragma, Acer, the Calabria region, Epson, La Fornarina, Grana Padano, De Giovanni Argenterie, Spi, Bric’s e Ivy Oxford as official suppliers. Another sponsor was Rcs Pubblicità, and there was help from the Region and supervision of the City Council. The event was coordinated by Gildo Pomentale, while the golf course and the logistics were taken care of by the club’s president Marco Croze.

The competition was promoted by the Venetian golf society in occasion of its 70th year of life and by the European Seniors Tour, which coordinates the competitions of the senior champions. The setting was a gorgeous 18 holes route with perfectly smooth greens, stretched between the sea and the lagoon, lit by sunny days; for the host players there were also Venice’s beauties, art exhibitions and the city’s monumental splendour. The triumphant winner of the second Nokia 9300 Seniors Italian Open, on the sun-drenched putting green of the Alberoni, was thus the Frenchman Gery Watine who, in 68 moves, (205 was the final result after the tournament’s three days) defended the position conquered since the first turn. Flavio Biondi, of Rcs Pubblicità, awarded him in front of photographers, journalists and cameraworkers the 25.500 euros’check and the cups.

The victory of the player of Moroccan origins came at the end of a face-to-face that went on all day long, with a Eamonn Darcy – four times player at the Ryder Cup, winner of 15 titles in the tournaments of all the world – who finished the course in 67 moves, matching the record gained by the great Palmer in 1979. Sam Torrance did not manage to add even this title to his palmarès made of 22 victories, included two Opens in Italy. The Scottish champion, already leader of the Ryder Cup, anyhow honored his presence in Venice with a shared fourth position. Between the Italians the best was Giuseppe Calì, who closed the last play with 72 moves (220 in all) gaining a 26th place in the final rankings.

The rankings

1. Gery Watine (Fra) 67 70 68 205 € 25.500 2. Eamonn Darcy (Ing) 69 69 67 205 € 17.000 3. Gavan Levenson (SA) 69 68 70 207 € 11.900 4. Sam Torrance (Sco) 71 69 68 208 € 8.517 5. Nick Job (Ing) 69 72 67 208 € 8.517

The Italians 26. Giuseppe Calì 74 74 72 220 € 1.445 37. Baldovino Dassù 72 76 74 222 € 901 42. Pietro Molteni 74 74 75 223 € 714 62. Alberto Croce 74 76 77 227 € 248,63 69. Angelo Passamonti 76 77 76 229 € 191,25