PETER SENIOR has recorded his second straight 11th placing on the US Champions Tour and in his rookie season sits at 14th position on the money list.
Senior had a chance for a top five finish during the final round of the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa, but bogeys at the 14th and 15th holes cost him that opportunity.
The event was won by three time major champion Nick Price by four strokes over Champions Tour rookie Tommy Armour III, who secured his third runner-up finish of the season.
Senior’s cheque for US$35,500 takes his season’s earnings to a cool US$370,000. He finished 11th at the US Senior PGA Championship last week and was runner-up at the previous tournament in Alabama.
The Queenslander needs to finish the season inside the top 30 on the money list to retain his tour spot.
The Champions Tour will now have a two week break before the Dick’s Sporting Goods open in New York from the 25th – 27th June.
On the European Seniors Tour, Sydney’s David Merriman has shared fourth place in the Matrix Jersey Classic.
Merriman fired a final round one-under, 71 in windy conditions to finish at nine-under and six strokes adrift of Scot Gordon Brand Jnr.
Brand Jnr produced a steady level par final round 72 to complete a fine wire-to-wire victory and seal his maiden European Senior Tour title by five strokes.
Australia’s Graham Banister finished in sixth place after heading into the third and final round in second place.
The 53 year-old, who gained his European Senior Tour card at last November’s Qualifying School, was still celebrating after marrying his partner Jill last week.
“All the Aussies (including former European Tour winner Peter Fowler) went out for dinner last night and they’ve been great to me since I came on the Senior Tour,” Bannister said after shooting a second round five under 67.
“They’ve been to telling me to relax and enjoy it. This course is actually quite like the one I grew up playing in New South Wales so I feel comfortable on it.”
Next week’s European Seniors Tour event is the Handa Irish Seniors Open presented by Fáilte Ireland.