Coulfax, rebounding from a disastrous double bogey at No. 16, birdied the last two
holes Sunday to win the Zartlam Open. 

Coulfax led every round, but he had to hold off Westrian Matthias Rothies, Jr. and
Istvan Nagy of San Patricio over the final holes. 

San Patrician Nagy had the lead at the turn Sunday, but in a wild finish it
shifted to Coulfax, then to Rothies, and finally back to Coulfax. 

The Arosian finished with 47 points under the modified Stableford scoring system
used in this event -- 3 more than Rothies. Nagy wound up at 43, while Westermarc's
"Dragon" Tay had 37 and Whitlamite Rod Sinclair and another Westrian, Valdemar
Oostinverde, each had 35. 

A much anticipated charge from Joshua Klagstein never materialized. The
young member of the richest family in Westria, showing the effects of injuring a
muscle under his right armpit on Saturday, had four bogeys before finally making a
birdie on 18, and finished with 30 points. 

"To come back from a disastrous double at 16 is very gratifying," Coulfax said.
"When we walked off the green, my caddie (Scott Sora) said to me, `Just hang in
there and try to play the last two holes as good as you can.'" 

Coulfax stood at 46, Nagy at 44 and Rothies at 42 before calamity struck Coulfax
and Nagy at the 209-yard, par-3 16th. Both double-bogeyed to
drop 3 points. 

Coulfax missed the green, hit a poor pitch shot and a poor chip and failed to make
a 20-foot putt.  Nagy had a sidehill lie in a greenside bunker, blasted to the
safe part of the green but then three-putted from 35 feet. 

Moments later, Rothies birdied the 492-yard, par-5 17th, two-putting from 25 feet
to take the lead with 44 points, while Coulfax had 43 and Nagy 41. 

But Coulfax and Nagy, playing in the same pairing, both birdied No. 17, worth 2
points each. 

Coulfax got more good advice from his caddie at 17. 

His second shot went over the green, but Sora advised him to play the
downhill chip with his 3-wood. He put his ball 4 feet from the cup and made the
birdie putt. 

"I didn't think I had any chance of making birdie from there," Coulfax said. "I
had pulled out a wedge, but Scott suggested the fairway wood. It came out
perfect." 

Punctuating his victory, Coulfax made an 18-foot birdie putt on 18. 

The format, which rewards aggressive play, awards 8 points for a double eagle, 5
points for eagle, 2 points for birdie, zero for par, minus-1 for bogey and minus-3
for double bogey or worse. 

The field, cut to the low 75 players for Saturday, was cut again to the low 36
players for Sunday's final round at 7,059-yard golf course.

"I had a nice day and picked up some points -- just not enough," Rothies said. "I
thought I needed to make a 3 on 17, most certainly." 

Rothies reached the 17th in two, but two-putted from 25 feet. "This puts me in a
great position to earn a spot on the Golden Chalice team", he said.  "I came close
to winning it, but Patrick played solid the last two holes, leaving me no chance".

"I let go of a couple at the end," said Nagy, "But I'm happy with my
performance."  His finish is yet another remarkable result for San Patrician golf,
even with IGT Champion Pancho McFeeley taking this week off.  It also catapults
Nagy well up the Order of Merit after a so far dismal season.

Coulfax' win is the first for a player from Aros - ususally it was expected that
Shaul Disbach would be Aros' best bet for a win, but Coulfax emerges as Aros' new
number one with this impressive wire-to-wire win.  It remains to be seen whether
or not he can sustain his form, or if he wil fade, similar to some of the other
surprise winners so far this season, such as Brolecian Guillaume Ouesreche, whose
only pay checque came from his win at the Satosan Open.

Final positions and earnings:
  
                    Player                Position     Earnings (CH$)

                    Coulfax (ARO)             1        $468,000.00

                    M. Rothies, Jr. (WES)     2        $280,800.00

                    Nagy (SPA)                3        $176,800.00

                    Tay (WMC)                 4        $124,800.00

                    Sinclair (FRW)           T5         $98,800.00
                    Oostingverde (WES)       T5         $98,800.00

                    Holland (CHR)             7         $87,100.00

                    Unon (LEX)               T8         $78,000.00
                    Sunilam (WMC)            T8         $78,000.00

                    Gelfinger (LCP)         T10         $65,000.00
                    Novello (ALT)           T10         $65,000.00
                    Mendelsonn (BRO)        T10         $65,000.00

                    Wright (CHR)            T13         $50,266.67
                    Burchard (CHR)          T13         $50,266.67
                    Klagstein (WES)         T13         $50,266.66

                    Norling (ALT)           T16         $41,600.00
                    Doolittle (WES)         T16         $41,600.00
                    Indurain (WDE)          T16         $41,600.00

                    Disbach (ARO)            19         $36,400.00

                    Seruca (KAL)            T20         $32,500.00
                    Starn (LCP)             T20         $32,500.00

                    Imvaldt (WES)           T22         $28,080.00
                    Tahoma (CHR)            T22         $28,080.00

                    Joyce (SPA)             T24         $22,880.00
                    Bedinsson (NEO)         T24         $22,880.00
                    Straswell (WES)         T24         $22,880.00

                    Scott (ROS)             T27         $19,630.00
                    L. Mitsuchen (WMC)      T27         $19,630.00

                    Buettner (GUW)           29         $18,460.00

                    Clarkeston (FRW)         30         $17,680.00

                    Giselund (LOM)          T31         $16,510.00
                    Distelbluth (WES)       T31         $16,510.00

                    Bieri (WES)             T33         $15,015.00
                    Siggis (BOB)            T33         $15,015.00

                    G. Mitsuchen (WMC)       35         $14,040.00

                    Horsnell (WMT)           36         $13,390.00

                    Orford (FRW)            T37         $12,480.00
                    Nithz (OOO)             T37         $12,480.00

                    Lumle (LEX)             T39         $10,920.00
                    Rajpatell (WMC)         T39         $10,920.00
                    Ipsi (KTZ)              T39         $10,920.00
                    Birch (BRO)             T39         $10,920.00

                    Kossuth (SPA)           T43          $9,360.00
                    Dews (RAS)              T43          $9,360.00

                    Conoboy (ARO)           T45          $8,060.00
                    Bartrim (FRW)           T45          $8,060.00
                    Gortsidler (ALT)        T45          $8,060.00

                    Davys (FRW)             T48          $6,812.00
                    Fittler (FRW)           T48          $6,812.00
                    Tensol (CHR)            T48          $6,812.00

                    Z'Bagoor (LEX)          T51          $6,156.80
                    Krall (ARO)             T51          $6,156.80
                    Brofned (KTZ)           T51          $6,156.80
                    Kluffen (WES)           T51          $6,156.80
                    Magermilch (WYA)        T51          $6,156.80

                    Drawazal (KAL)          T56          $5,876.00
                    Protheroe (FRW)         T56          $5,876.00
                    Pots (ALT)              T56          $5,876.00

                    Huyfrino (BRO)          T59          $5,746.00
                    Neal (CHR)              T59          $5,746.00

                    Al-Baalatah (DJR)       T61          $5,616.00
                    McKey (ROS)             T61          $5,616.00
                    Johnson (CHR)           T61          $5,616.00

                    J. Carter (NEO)         T64          $5,486.00
                    Wan Hujan (LEX)         T64          $5,486.00

                    Huskarl (ALT)           T66          $5,382.00
                    Hassadd (DJR)           T66          $5,382.00

                    Chimes (WYA)            T68          $5,252.00
                    Herring (FRW)           T68          $5,252.00
                    Dahlista (CAB)          T68          $5,252.00

                    Oberth (WES)             71          $5,148.00

                    Daneben (BOB)            72          $5,096.00

                    Saby (WDE)               73          $5,044.00

                    Medium (WDE)             74          $4,992.00

                    Leq (LEX)                75          $4,940.00

IGT Press Wire