[caption id="attachment_67060" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Simon Thornton."]
For the second time this month, Simon Thornton has let a tournament win slip from his grasp. He settled for second place in the Allianz Golf Open Grand Toulouse at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh in Seilh, France behind Sam Little, who won on the Challenge Tour for the second consecutive week.
Thornton and Little went out together on Sunday, tied for the lead after 54 holes. That was unchanged after 11 holes, but then Thornton went one up with a birdie at 12. The vagaries of the sport became apparent at 13, when the advantage swung to Little with his birdie and Thornton's bogey. Thornton played evenly the rest of the way, while Little went up by two after birdie at 15. A Little bogey at 17 added drama to the final hole, but nothing changed there.
"It would have been nice to go one better and get the win today, but it just wasn't to be," Thornton said. "But I'm pleased with the move I've made in the rankings."
Thornton moved up to 12th place in the Challenge Tour Order of Merit; the top 20 automatically earn European Tour cards for 2012. Four more events remain on the Tour's calendar, including this week's Fred Olsen Challenge in the Canary Islands. The Grand Finale awaits in Italy the first week of November.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Gary Murphy had his best showing in recent memory, garnering a share of 21st place in the Austrian GolfOpen at Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg, Austria. Just making the cut at this level has been a challenge for Murphy, but he did that comfortably with rounds of 72 and 68.
Murphy might have worked his way into the top 10 had he not botched the 14th hole on Sunday, when he took triple-bogey 7 there. On a brighter note, three holes later he birdied 17, where he'd taken bogey in each of the three previous rounds. Then, he birdied 18 to finish up with 73 for the day and 3-under-par 285 for the tournament.
Padraig Harrington was also out and about, finishing joint-36th at 287 (75-70-70-72).
Missing the cut, which fell at 147 for 36 holes, were Michael McGeady, 148 (75-73), Jonathan Caldwell, 149 (75-74), Damien McGrane, 151 (74-77), and Paul Cutler, 151 (77-74), in his first spin as a professional.
NATIONAL PRO TOUR
Chris Devlin set a course record with his 65 in the first round of the Land of Enchantment Open at Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club in Albuquerque, N.M. The Ballymena native then shot 71 in the second round to drop into second place, three strokes off Chad Ginn. Ginn cruised on in for a 6-stroke victory, while Devlin dropped back to a third-place tie, seven strokes off Ginn, with closing rounds of 74 and 75. Conditions over the two final rounds were a bit on the rough side, with 70 broken only three times over that spell.
SOLHEIM CUP
Europe defeated the United States, 15-13, in this Ryder Cup-style competition for the distaff set in front of 28,000 observers at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, Co. Meath. The score was knotted as the final day's singles matches loomed on Sunday. Europe got a lift from a free point when Christie Kerr of the U.S. withdrew with an injury.
Rain delays and lightning threats hampered the flow, but Europe won two of the final three matches and halved the other to assure victory. The U.S. had won the three previous renewals. This is the first time the Solheim Cup has been contested in Ireland. The next renewal is scheduled for August 2013 at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo.
EGOLF PROFESSIONAL TOUR
Seamus Power tied for 14th place in the rain-shortened Cabarrus Classic at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord, N.C. The Waterford man came in with rounds of 67 and 69 to finish the event eight strokes under par and four in back of the low number, which led to a playoff, won by Ryan Nelson. Power earned $1,850.
HOOTERS TOUR
Barry O'Neill was only a stroke off the lead in the Buffalo Run Casino Classic at Peoria Ridge Golf Club in Miami, Okla. after opening with 66. Three rounds later, the Waterford native was well down the leaderboard, having shot 73, 71 and 73. That was good for a piece of 53rd place. His aggregate 283 was 17 strokes off the low scores of Ryan Spears and Ryan Blaum. Spears won the playoff battle of the Ryans. O'Neill's take was $1,320.
