Warren wins at Gleneagles

By Brian Keogh

Scot Marc Warren snatched the Johnnie Walker Championship in sudden-death and paid tribute to coach Bob Torrance.

Last year's Rookie of the Year, 26, grabbed his second tour win in yet another play-off when he denied England's Simon Wakefield with a birdie at the second extra hole.

Warren and Torrance had a blazing row earlier in the week before the former Walker Cup star put his head down and performed brilliantly at Gleneagles.

He said: "Bob told me to stop being so hard on myself and it's an incredible feeling to win here in Scotland.

"I feel sorry for Simon. He was looking for his first win he had the lead for most of the day, but I managed to pip him at the post."

Warren two-putted from long range for victory after Wakefield had missed two putts to win, first a 12-footer on the 72nd hole and then from nine feet for birdie again on the same green when the play-off started.

Wakefield said: "I am deflated. I held it together really well and what can I say? But at least I lost to a birdie and I didn't have a bogey all day."

Warren shot a four under par 69 to Wakefield's 70 as the pair tied on 12 under par.

But Peter Lawrie and Darren Clarke finished a disappointing 53rd and 56th respectively after rounds of 70 and 74.

Dubliner Lawrie went to the turn in level par but then picked up three shots coming home with four birdies and a bogey in his last six holes.

A cheque for € 7,630 was not enough to prevent him falling one spot in the Order of Merit to 69th and he has work to do to make the top 60 that qualify for the season-ending Volvo Masters.

But it was even worse for Clarke, who has been highly critical of the choice of the Centenary Course as host venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Three early bogeys left him near the back of the field and while he undid the damage with an eagle at the ninth and a birdie at the 10th, a bogey at the par five 12th killed his momentum.

Clarke then parred his way home to earn just € 6,341 and remain 126th in the money list.

The Ulsterman will be hoping for better in the Omega European Masters in Swizerland this week, which is the first qualifying event for the 2008 Ryder Cup.