O'Banion, who was my many expected to fade in today's final round, did 
just the opposite, and at times held a three-shot lead over the Westrian 
favorite. The two protagonists eventually through the round pulled away 
from the rest of the field, which could not keep up with the pace of the 
two players, trading birdies and playing some of the most exciting golf 
of the year. 

Each player had trouble finding the fairway in the final shootout, but 
both made tremendous shots to keep the contest close. Rothies' birdie on 
the 16th — the first hole of the playoff — proved to be the difference. 

''I didn't expect any of that,'' Rothies said as he clutched the Trophy. 
''This is probably one of the greatest duels I've ever had in golf.'' 

As the two started the last hole of the three-hole playoff, Rothies 
pulled his tee shot far to the left with a 3-wood. The ball bounced down 
an embankment near a paved cartpath. O'Banion also hooked his drive to 
the left side, off the fairway. 

Rothies took relief from a stance on the cartpath for his second shot, 
taking a drop. He then hit to the rough on the left of the fairway. 
O'Banion's second shot crossed the fairway and landed in the right-side 
rough. 

Rothies' third shot fell short of the green and kicked into the 
right-side sand trap ahead of the hole. O'Banion's third shot landed on 
the green, but rolled down the right-side ridge. 

Rothies then blasted a tremendous bunker shot close to the cup on his 
fourth shot. O'Banion then curled a shot to the left of the hole and 
tapped in for par.  Rothies then made his par putt to seal the victory. 

The San Patrician, who started the day a shot behind Rothies in the 
year's final major, led by as many as three shots early Sunday but was 
tied with the Westrian as they headed back to the 16th hole in the final 
round. 

On the first playoff hole, O'Banion hit his tee shot on the par-4 16th 
into the left-side rough. Rothies played his shot off the tee onto the 
fairway. O'Banion's next shot at 16 bounded into the right-side rough 
just ahead of the green.  Rothies answered by placing his approach in 
the center of the green. 

O'Banion then hit a stunning chip onto the green, rolling his shot to 
six inches away from the cup. He then tapped in for an amazing par. 
Rothies then curled a long birdie put into the hole for a one-shot lead. 
He strutted toward the hole to pick the ball out of the cup as they 
headed to the 17th tee. 

Both players missed the fairway at No. 17. Rothies belted his tee shot 
into the gallery on the right side of the hole. O'Banion's shot found a 
deep patch of rough on the left. He then hit into a greenside bunker 
ahead of the pin. 

Rothies hit a punch-shot approach at 17 that skimmed past the green and 
into a collection area past the hole. His putt over the ridge wound up 
about 8 feet to the left of the cup. O'Banion then blasted his bunker 
shot to 5 feet for his par attempt. 

Rothies sank his par putt, playing it left-to-right and into the left 
edge of the hole. O'Banion's par save found the back of the hole and 
they went to the 18th for a second time today. 

On the final hole of regulation, both leaders landed safely in the 
fairway and reached the green in two shots. 

Both had long eagle attempts, but O'Banion pushed his putt far beyond 
the hole onto the back fringe. Rothies missed his eagle try over the 
hump, but to the right on the 18th green. 

O'Banion then put the pressure on, curling in a slow birdie putt as the 
gallery cheered. Rothies then made his 5-foot putt to force a three-hole 
playoff. O'Banion finished his round at 66. Rothies had a final-day 67.  
They would begin the playoff minutes later, with spectators scrambling 
for viewing positions. 

Westermarc's Michael Sorithzy finished his final round with a 68 to move 
to 13-under and in sole possession of third place. Davenporters Parsley 
and O'Bannon, as well as Namurian Count Bneressia finished tied for 
fourth at 12-under. 

Paulo Senaduro of Caboteniasa, who matched Rothies stroke for stroke 
through much of the first three rounds, faded to 9-under with 
consecutive bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 and finished with a 75. Deuco Juan 
Miguel Schwartz, another early contender, had a round of 76 on Sunday. 

With this win, Rothies finally shed the stigma of not having won a major 
tournament yet, despite his comanding position on top of the Order of 
Merit.  He also becomes the first Westrian player to win a major 
championship.  His lead in the Order of Merit is now astronomical, as he 
crossed the 3 million Christiana Crowns barrier with no signs of slowing 
down. 

The final scores and earnings, in Christiana Crowns: 

               x-M. Rothies, Jr. (WES)    $900,000   66-67-70-67--270    18-under 

               O'Banion (SPA)             $540,000   72-66-66-66--270    18-under 

               Sorithzy (WMC)             $340,000   72-68-67-68--275    13-under 

               Parsley (DAV)              $198,667   70-69-68-69--276    12-under 
               Bneressia (NAM)            $198,667   71-69-66-70--276 
               O'Bannon (DAV)             $198,667   76-68-63-69--276 

               Indurain (DEU)             $157,000   72-71-65-69--277    11-under 

               Disbach (ARO)              $145,000   72-66-70-70--278    10-under 

               Burchard (CHR)             $112,500   68-72-72-67--279     9-under 
               Senaduro (CAB)             $112,500   66-68-70-75--279 
               Weslow (IWK)               $112,500   69-68-74-68--279 
               Larocquette (DAV)          $112,500   68-69-72-70--279 
               Zoek (WES)                 $112,500   70-70-69-70--279 
               Tennant (ARM)              $112,500   76-70-65-68--279 

               Holland (CHR)               $77,500   72-71-70-67--280     8-under 
               Zirandria (NAM)             $77,500   73-70-67-70--280 
               Pharinser (DRA)             $77,500   73-70-69-68--280 
               Lumle (LEX)                 $77,500   72-72-69-67--280 

               Ouesreche (BRO)             $56,200   73-71-68-69--281     7-under 
               D'Oliveira (ORD)            $56,200   72-71-71-67--281 
               Schwartz (DEU)              $56,200   69-68-68-76--281 
               Von Chicken (WES)           $56,200   76-70-70-65--281 
               Yurhaus (MER)               $56,200   70-72-69-70--281 

               DuBraal (KTZ)               $41,000   72-71-66-73--282     6-under 
               Werkem (BOW)                $41,000   72-71-70-69--282 
               DePoort (WES)               $41,000   74-72-68-68--282 

               Pescitel (ALT)              $34,167   71-74-70-68--283     5-under 
               Kepparketl (ALT)            $34,167   72-72-69-70--283 
               Pickering (ARM)             $34,167   74-69-70-70--283 

               Kluffen (WES)               $28,875   69-71-71-73--284     4-under 
               Tay (WMC)                   $28,875   78-68-70-68--284 
               Childress (SCK)             $28,875   70-74-69-71--284 
               Nithz (OOO)                 $28,875   76-69-68-71--284 

               Tahoma (CHR)                $24,000   73-74-71-67--285     3-under 
               McFeeley (SPA)              $24,000   74-68-72-71--285 
               Seruca (KAL)                $24,000   74-69-73-69--285 
               Bedinsson (NEO)             $24,000   73-71-70-71--285 
               Sunilam (WMC)               $24,000   72-74-70-69--285 

               Z'Bagoor (LEX)              $20,500   73-73-71-69--286     2-under 
               Gelfinger (LCP)             $20,500   74-72-70-70--286 

               Oostingverde (WES)          $17,000   73-73-71-70--287     1-under 
               Nickerson (DAV)             $17,000   75-70-74-68--287 
               Antanavo (LEN)              $17,000   73-69-72-73--287 
               Huskarl (ALT)               $17,000   75-72-68-72--287 
               Protheroe (FRW)             $17,000   72-68-72-75--287 

               D'Amor (ALT)                $12,650   70-74-71-73--288     even 
               Gnorelia (CAB)              $12,650   75-69-73-71--288 
               Lubjana (DRA)               $12,650   77-69-71-71--288 
               Aretasuna (UTA)             $12,650   71-72-70-75--288 
               Giselund (LOM)              $12,650   75-70-71-72--288 

               Balasta (LEN)               $10,964   74-71-73-71--289     1-over 
               Peacock (UNT)               $10,964   76-71-71-71--289 
               Waturnowani (ALL)           $10,964   79-68-69-73--289 
               Pishenky (DRA)              $10,964   69-74-71-75--289 
               Von Toschamerton (DEY)      $10,964   73-74-73-69--289 
               Kilandra (BOW)              $10,964   72-74-70-73--289 
               Narresch (IWK)              $10,964   72-74-73-70--289 

               Straswell (WES)             $10,250   72-74-74-70--290     2-over 
               Weilderman (BOW)            $10,250   75-72-69-74--290 
               Beobidhenhe (EDE)           $10,250   73-74-71-72--290 
               Dahlista (CAB)              $10,250   72-75-70-73--290 
               McGurk (SPA)                $10,250   74-72-71-73--290 
               DuKlerik (REZ)              $10,250   72-70-76-72--290 

               Klagstein (WES)              $9,700   73-74-71-73--291     3-over 
               Neal (CHR)                   $9,700   71-74-68-78--291 
               Collino (ALT)                $9,700   73-74-68-76--291 
               Bobone (ORD)                 $9,700   70-77-74-70--291 
               Oberth (WES)                 $9,700   74-69-71-77--291 

               Fittler (FRW)                $9,425   71-73-75-73--292     4-over 
               Gortsidler (ALT)             $9,425   76-71-73-72--292 

               Galinheira (ORD)             $9,350   75-72-74-72--293     5-over 

               Cates (DAV)                  $9,275   74-71-74-75--294     6-over 
               Havrillak (MER)              $9,275   75-71-73-75--294 

               Fornende (CAB)               $9,150   72-74-81-70--297     9-over 
               Kilet (BOW)                  $9,150   73-70-75-79--297 
               Kresnick (SCK)               $9,150   74-73-76-74--297 

               Strevel (MER)                $9,050   74-71-76-78--299    11-over 

               Ipsi (KTZ)                   $9,000   74-71-76-79--300    12-over 

               Mestrov (GUW)                $8,950   72-73-77-79--301   13-over 

               Krall (ARO)                  $8,900   75-72-88-78--313   25-over