McFeeley, who finally answered his critics coming to form for the biggest tourney
of the year, uncharacteristically struggled down the stretch as the exuberant
Lombrigan teenager applied pressure, but the favorite still managed to walk away
with a one-stroke victory.
The theater at Gough International Country Club was engaging but left McFeeley
visibly drained. 

"It was a tough day, but it's always nice to play with all the pressure on the
line," McFeeley said. "If you don't like that and you don't have fun doing that --
then I don't know why you're even out there." 

McFeeley's long-awaited championship victory brought him the No. 1 position on the
Official Order of Merit

The crowds were squarely behind the teenage underdog at times, making it even more
difficult for the favorite:  "I said when I turned pro that I wanted to be the No.
1 golfer in the world,"
said the precocious 19-year-old. "So I knew I was going to be a
rival for Pancho. I said I want to be a rival, but always being friends like we
did today." 

The rivalry heated up on the back nine, after McFeeley had moved to 15 under par
with a birdie on the 11th hole. At that point, Christiana's Evan Burchard was
still a factor -- after playing the same stretch in 5 under par -- while
Leuwenzaan was another stroke back at 10 under. 

But Burchard promptly dropped out of the picture with back to back bogeys on the
12th and 13th hole, as well as a double on No. 16. So the focus shifted to
Leuwenzaan, who was playing one group ahead of McFeeley. 

Leuwenzaan made his move when he rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on the 13th
hole. He slashed his fist in the air in celebration and clearly looked back at the
tee, where McFeeley, who had just bogeyed the 12th hole, stood ready to hit. 

"I wanted him to know that I was still there and to show him that he had to finish
well to win," said Leuwenzaan.

"But it wasn't, it wasn't -- I don't know how to say -- kind of a bad thing. I
mean I did it with good feelings, not hoping, now, make a triple bogey or
whatever. So I was kind of telling him: If you want to win, you have to play
well." 

McFeeley said he expected Leuwenzaan to make the putt, sidestepping any
questions about whether he was affected by the Lombrigan's gesture. But
McFeeley proceeded to double-bogey the 13th -- hitting his 6-iron into the deep
rough over the green, chipping long twice and two-putting from 10 feet. 

"I did have a tough stretch, but my focus was always there and never left me,"
McFeeley would later say. "I tried on every shot.  Unfortunately, it just didn't
happen. That's just part of the game. And even though I lost four shots in two
holes, I still had the lead. ... He's still chasing me." 

Leuwenzaan was. But suddenly the lead was a single shot. The margin stayed that
way until the 15th hole where Nick's approach found the rough to the right of the
green. He tried a flop shot and left himself an eight-footer to save par but was
unsuccessful and fell two strokes back. 

A miraculous par at the next hole kept Leuwenzaan in the game after his tee shot
settled in the 'V' of a tree trunk. The fearless teen somehow managed to slice the
ball around the tree -- closing his eyes when he hit the ball, then racing up the
fairway and leaping into the air so he could see it land on the green. 

"I thought about laying out," Leuwenzaan admitted. "But what I also thought is
that I know I could hit it probably 10 yards left of the green. And I thought,
well, maybe if I hit it straight and I end
up in the crowds, I probably have a good lie and a lot of green to work with.

"The problem of laying up, it was that I had to hit it probably 30, 35 yards and
then hit a wedge or 9-iron to be in position. So I thought, if you don't slice it
and you end up in the crowds, you might have a chance to make '4.' " 

Pancho had troubles of his own on the 16th hole -- sending his 8-iron
approach into a steep greenside bunker. The toughest hole on the course
lived up to its reputation, and the San Pat golfer was unable to negotiate an
18-footer to save par. 

Leuwenzaan, who shot 71 to McFeeley's 72, gave himself chances on the last two
holes, then waited by the 18th green to hug the winner. The unbridled enthusiasm
that saw him chase shots down the fairway and the applause he graciously gave back
to the fans won him a legion of admirers. 

"The crowds were incredible," said Leuwenzaan, who locked up his Golden Chalice
team berth with Sunday's $378,000 runner-up payout. "It looked like I was
Whitlamite, or more than that." 

McFeeley, who was distressed by some negative comments in the crowd, saw
some of himself in Leuwenzaan. 

"We play very similar games," he said. "We were both very aggressive. Both hit the
ball a long ways and both like to be creative. It was neat to see him wear his
emotions on his sleeve a little. ... He can use a good shot or even a bad shot and
fuel it into a positive. That's one thing I liked about him. 

"He exudes confidence really and its wonderful to see. I was the same
way when I first came out."  

Another solid finish for Christianan Quincy Holland, who looks like a sure fixture
on the International Chalice team, tied with once again surprising Caboteniasan
Ernesto Gnorelia.  Rod Sinclair was the best local, at -6, tied with IGT Inaugural
runner-up Subhas Sunilam.

Third round co-leader Stanislaus Zoëk of Westria crumbled under the final round
pressure and failed to break 80 in a miserable round.

Scores and earnings Sunday from the final round of IGT Grand Championship held at
the 7,401-yard par-72 Gough International Country Club: 

                                                              
 Player       Money                 Scores           +/-    
  
McFeeley (SPA) $630,000             70-67-68-72--277 11-under 

Leuwenzaan (LOM) $378,000           66-73-68-71--278 10-under

Holland (CHR) $203,000              69-70-68-73--280 8-under  
Gnorelia (CAB) $203,000             68-67-75-70--280          

Burchard (CHR) $129,000             70-71-69-71--281 7-under

Sinclair (FRW) $112,000             71-70-72-69--282 6-under   
Sunilam (WMC) $112,000              72-70-70-70--282

Wan Hujan (LEX) $96,500             72-70-73-69--284 4-under   
Protheroe (FRW) $96,500             71-70-69-74--284           

Birch (BRO) $72,167                 70-71-72-72--285 3-under    
Elfenbein (WES) $72,167             69-74-71-71--285            
Tsumpi (WMC) $72,167                70-73-71-71--285            
Kepparketl (ALT) $72,167            70-70-75-70--285     
Tahoma (CHR) $72,167                72-70-73-70--285
Zoëk (WES) $72,167                  68-68-69-80--285

Buettner (GUW) $48,600              72-70-73-72--287 1-under
Chimes (WYA) $48,600                70-73-70-74--287
Sorusne (KTZ) $48,600               69-74-69-75--287
Quartermaine (RAS) $48,600          73-69-70-75--287
Straswell (WES) $48,600             70-68-74-75--287

Sachient (WMC) $33,200              74-65-71-78--288 Even
Quay (KAL) $33,200                  75-68-74-71--288
Disbach (ARO) $33,200               71-71-75-71--288
Krall (ARO) $33,200                 73-70-74-71--288
Johannessen (WES) $33,200           72-70-72-74--288

Siggis (BOB) $24,000                72-71-71-75--289 1-over
Seruca (KAL) $24,000                69-74-71-75--289
Norling (ALT) $24,000               73-69-75-72--289
Oostingverde (WES) $24,000          72-73-73-71--289
DePoort (WES) $24,000               74-70-75-70--289

Tay (WMC) $20,000                   70-72-76-72--290 2-over
Neal (CHR) $20,000                  70-74-79-67--290
Oudenryn (GUW) $20,000              73-70-71-76--290

Clarkeston (FRW) $15,429            70-74-76-71--291 3-over
Herring (FRW) $15,429               75-69-75-72--291
Saby (WDE) $15,429                  73-72-73-73--291
Imvaldt (WES) $15,429               73-71-72-75--291
Distelbluth (WES) $15,429           73-72-72-74--291
Suey (WMC) $15,429                  74-69-72-76--291
Litzler (WES) $15,429               72-69-74-76--291

Shumaker (NEO) $11,250              77-69-71-75--292 4-over
Shearer (WMT) $11,250               71-71-75-75--292
Childress (WYA) $11,250             70-69-78-75--292
Mendelsonn (BRO) $11,250            70-76-73-73--292
Huang (WMC) $11,250                 74-71-74-73--292
Fuyoung (WMC) $11,250               73-73-74-72--292
Tailor, III. (WES) $11,250          74-71-70-77--292
T. Rothies (WES) $11,250            69-71-72-80--292

Van der Treff (WES) $8,180          73-70-70-80--293 5-over
Spieler (WES) $8,180                71-72-78-72--293
Klagstein (WES) $8,180              74-70-77-72--293
Affengrell (OOO) $8,180             73-72-74-74--293
M. Rothies, Jr. (WES) $8,180        71-72-75-75--293

Collino (ALT) $7,400                68-76-76-74--294 6-over
O'Banion (SPA) $7,400               72-72-77-73--294
Grünwiesen (WES) $7,400             72-73-73-76--294

Von Chicken (WES) $7,175            72-72-74-77--295 7-over
Huskarl (ALT) $7,175                73-71-80-71--295
Kluffen (WES) $7,175                75-71-75-74--295
Coulfax (ARO) $7,175                74-70-75-76--295
Lumle (LEX) $7,175                  72-74-73-76--295

Fildbauer (ALT) $6,975              71-75-74-76--296 8-over
Gelfinger (LCP) $6,975              71-75-76-74--296
Giselund (LOM) $6,975               72-73-77-74--296

Johnson (CHR) $6,800                72-74-80-71--297 9-over
Mestrov (GUW) $6,800                72-74-76-75--297
Okay (WMC) $6,800                   71-73-75-78--297

Kalviack (KAL) $6,675               70-75-77-76--298 10-over
Najunder (WMC) $6,675               74-72-71-81--298

Jensen (CHR) $6,550                 72-73-78-76--299 11-over
O'Donnell (WMT) $6,550              73-73-78-75--299
Cartier (FRW) $6,550                73-73-78-75--299

Senaduro (CAB) $6,450               75-69-76-80--300 12-over
McKey (ROS) $1,750                  73-70-75   --WD

The Zartlam Open is next week.

IGT Press Wire