Clark Dennis fired a final round 66 to claim the sixth European Senior title of his career in style with victory at the Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy in Greece.
The 58-year-old American carded three successive rounds of 66 over Costa Naarino’s International Olympic Academy Golf Course to register a score of 17 under par and win the title by four shots from Scott Hend.
Clark was in the final group, starting the day one shot behind the 36-hole leader Mikael Lundberg, and made a solitary birdie on the front nine to reach the turn in 35.
However, Clark put his foot on the gas after that with birdies at 11 and 12, before finishing with a flourish of three birdies in the final four holes, notching his final birdie with a 20-foot putt at the last.
Clark’s victory was made all the sweeter by having his youngest son Philip on the bag, while wife Vickie was also supporting him from the sidelines throughout the 54-hole event.
“We have had a great time this week,” said Clark, whose last Senior Tour victory came at the 2019 WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany. “It’s probably the best venue the Legends Tour has been to since I’ve been on the Tour, and that’s eight years now. We don’t know how many of these we’re going to have left and to have my son and my wife with me has been amazing.
“That back nine was just as good as I can play, but I saw that I had a three-shot lead and it kind of shook me because I really didn’t know where I was. I was like, wait a minute, I’ve got three shots? To get the sixth win is really good and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year now!”
Overnight leader Mikael Lundberg shot a final round of 73 to drop down to a share of third, with the Swede enduring four dropped shots in his final round. Scott Hend, who finished second. started his week with a 60 on the Bay Course and signed off with a Sunday 66, but it was the round of 76 in round 2 which did all the damage to his title hopes. Four bogeys and two double bogeys ruined his card and despite a strong finish to the week, he was left to rue what had gone the day before.
“I found it very hard to adjust yesterday after playing the Bay Course in the first round and then moving to the Olympic course for the second. I lost my swing a little bit and tried to push the limits and got punished for it, I lost four balls yesterday, so it wasn’t the ideal second round, but at least I came back today and tried to reposition myself to finish high up in the field.”