Kirk seizes victory at the Crowne Plaza - Tour wrap-up

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements

PGA Tour

IAN POULTER is still looking for his first strokeplay victory on the PGA Tour - and he will never have a better chance to break that duck than the one he had at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, which was won by Chris Kirk, of the United States.

The Englishman began the day one adrift and although he chipped and putted beautifully, he hit far too many wayward drives and missed too many greens to give himself a chance of winning. Kevin Na, who began the day leading the tournament, lost his way - and not for the first time this season.

As the round unfolded, Jason Bohn emerged from the pack after reaching the turn in 29 shots. He finished with a 63 and set the clubhouse target on 11 under and for a long time it looked like it might be good enough. Next to pick up the gauntlet was the astonishing Jordan Spieth, who joined Bohn on 11 under until three-putting the 16th - you could count on one hand the number of times he has done that this year.

Brandt Snedeker took the lead at 12 under until he failed to get up and down at the 14th and fell back to 11 under, finding himself in a three-way tie with Bohn and Kirk. But Kirk wasn't finished yet, and a birdie at the 15th took him to 12 under.

Spieth brought the house down when he holed a huge putt on the 18th for a birdie that took him to 11 under, tied in the clubhouse with Bohn. Snedeker had a chance to move to 12 under on the final green but narrowly missed his birdie putt. And so it was left to his playing partner, Kirk, to hole a six-foot putt to win - and it never looked like going anywhere but the middle of the cup.

PGA Seniors Tour

Colin Montgomerie successfully defended his Senior PGA title thanks to a superb final round at French Lick, the Pete Dye course in Indiana. His 69 took him to eight under par and gave him a four-shot victory over Esteban Toledo. Having gone through his entire career on the regular tour without either winning a major or even a tournament in the US, the Scot has now won three majors on American soil in the space of 12 months.

They say that life begins at 50 and, for Monty at least, it certainly has. He began the day leading Bernhard Langer by three shots, but while the German struggled, Monty looked like he was out for a Sunday stroll. He dropped a shot at the first, but birdied the fifth, seventh, ninth, 10th and 12th. He had a bogey on the 15th, but did what all great champions do and birdied the next.

Challenge Tour

Meanwhile on the European Challenge Tour, Nacho Elvira won his second title in a month thanks to a superb wedge shot to the final hole, which secured a one-stroke victory in the Karnten Open. Elvira's triumph, which takes him to the top of the Road to Oman Rankings, came thanks to a birdie at the last set up by a glorious wedge. His 65 took him to 21 under par, one ahead of Sweden’s Jens Dantorp. England’s Ryan Evans was third after a 62 that included six successive birdies.