Sunilam, who never led the entire tournament and trailed by one stroke
going to the last hole, made a 12-foot birdie putt and won the Hawke
Bitter Classic when Leopard Birch missed a 10-foot putt for his first
bogey in 29 holes.

The Westermarcian birdied two of the last three holes and closed with a
6-under-par 66 to win for the first time in his career, and to become
the first Westermarcian to win on the IGT. He finished at 20-under 268
and won $486,000 Christiana Crowns.

''I knew if I made birdie, I might get in a playoff,'' Sunilam said. ''I
didn't expect this.''

Birch, who finished runner-up in a playoff just two weeks ago at the
Zerus Imperial Namurian Open, and whose quest to score a win has gotten
much attention, looked like the winner, until he drove into the left
rough on the 18th, played short of the green and then ran a pitch about
10 feet past the hole.

''We both played great,'' Birch said. ''I happened to make a mistake on
the last, and he capitalized splendidly!''

Christiana's Evan Burchard, the only other player who had a serious
chance of winning, played the back nine in even par and wound up with a
68, three strokes behind.

The highly favored Whitlamite players never made much impact, as none of
them could break into the top-10.  Masters Champion Rod Sinclair never
made a move on the front nine — critical since he started six strokes
back — and finished with a 68, seven strokes behind Sunilam.

On a drizzling day at Shanebrooks, Birch and Sunilam quickly turned the
final round into a duel and were tied at 19-under through 11 holes.

Birch holed a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 12 and extended his lead to two
strokes when Sunilam missed a 3-footer for par on the 15th.

While the 18th was the decisive hole, the tournament might have turned
on the par-5 16th. Desperate for a birdie or better, Sunilam hit a
driver from the fairway with a perfect fade that allowed the ball to run
up to the green 30 feet away.

Birch decided to hit a 3-wood, but pulled it badly in an awkward spot
left of a bunker that guarded the flag. He had to make a 5-footer just
to save par, and Sunilam two-putted for his birdie to cut the lead to
one.

''I thought that was the turning point,'' Birch said. ''I felt like if I
could birdie 16, the tournament would be over. He pulled off a great
shot, and then I hit a really solid shot that just didn't cut.''

While 17 players began the final round within six shots of the lead, not
many of them could make a run at Birch, the third round leader — or
their bid simply started too late.

Westria's Thobias Rothies wound up with a 68 and tied for fourth with
first- and second-round leader Gilbert "Chop" Suey at 273.

Burchard was the first one to put pressure on Birch, and sensed
everything going his way when he walked after a 70-foot putt that
dropped for eagle on the par-5 7th, pulling him one shot out of the
lead.

But that was as close as he got. He missed a 6-foot birdie putt on 9,
chopped up the 10th for his first bogey of the day, failed to birdie the
two short par-4s on the back and dropped another shot on 15.

The two Whitlam tournaments in the past two weeks now made winners of
the neighboring nations, Eastern Zartania and Westermarc (both scoring
their respective first IGT victories) - while the local Whitlam players
did not display their best form.  Hopefully that will change for the IGT
Grand Championship next week, played in Davenport.

Champion Sunilam said: "Today everything went my way.  I felt I could
win, and I was confident that I would prevail in the playoff if I made
that last putt... the fact that Leopard missed his putt and never made
it to the playoff was a surprise.  I feel bad for him, he played very
well, and deserved at least to get to the playoff.  But on the other
hand, I am not complaining!"

Birch said: "Second again... it's getting a little old, I must admit. 
And the press is blowing my not having won yet out of proportion.  But,
hey: I am in contention a lot, and if you are going to win, you gotta
give yourself chances like today.  I know I am close.  Maybe next week,
eh?  Besides, my banker is not complaining either!"

Defending champion Nicholas Siggis of Baben Bay missed the cut.  Last
week's winner Michael DuBraal of Eastern Zartania was suffering from
winner's hangover, and was mired in the midfield.

Final results and earnings, in Christiana Crowns:

                  Sunilam (WMC), $486,000       68-64-70-66--268 -20
 
                  Birch (BRO), $291,600         67-69-65-68--269 -19
 
                  Burchard (CHR), $183,600      67-67-69-68--271 -17 

                  T. Rothies (WES), $118,800    69-71-65-68--273 -15 
                  Suey (WMC), $118,800          63-67-73-70--273 -15 

                  Tznook (LEX), $84,510         70-70-68-66--274 -14 
                  Norling (ALT), $84,510        70-65-70-69--274 -14 
                  Peacock (UNT), $84,510        69-70-67-68--274 -14 
                  Pennenton (UTA), $84,510      70-69-66-69--274 -14 
                  Kilandra (BOW), $84,510       66-69-69-70--274 -14 

                  Von Chicken (WES), $57,240    69-70-70-66--275 -13 
                  Protheroe (FRW), $57,240      70-66-72-67--275 -13 
                  Sinclair (FRW), $57,240       70-70-67-68--275 -13 
                  G. Mitsuchen (WMC), $57,240   69-67-69-70--275 -13 
                  Tahoma (CHR), $57,240         66-71-68-70--275 -13
 
                  Zoek (WES), $40,500           68-73-69-66--276 -12 
                  D'Oliveira (ORD), $40,500     70-71-68-67--276 -12 
                  Orford (FRW), $40,500         69-70-69-68--276 -12 
                  Yurhaus (MER), $40,500        71-69-68-68--276 -12 
                  Ferhentodo (EDE), $40,500     71-68-68-69--276 -12
 
                  Novello (ALT), $29,160        73-65-73-66--277 -11 
                  Larocquette (DAV), $29,160    72-65-72-68--277 -11 
                  Sorithzy (WMC), $29,160       68-73-68-68--277 -11 
                  Ipsi (KTZ), $29,160           65-70-69-73--277 -11
 
                  Antanavo (LEN), $22,050       73-67-71-67--278 -10 
                  Saby (DEU), $22,050           72-66-72-68--278 -10 
                  Gelulola (NIO), $22,050       72-68-67-71--278 -10
 
                  Oudenryn (GUW), $18,765       71-71-73-64--279  -9 
                  O'Donnell (UNT), $18,765      70-71-69-69--279  -9 
                  Persepolis (DRA), $18,765     70-68-70-71--279  -9 
                  Ouesreche (BRO), $18,765      70-68-69-72--279  -9 

                  Conoboy (ARO), $12,856        72-70-72-66--280  -8 
                  Bedinsson (NEO), $12,856      69-69-74-68--280  -8 
                  Weilderman (BOW), $12,856     67-71-74-68--280  -8 
                  Iro (GUW), $12,856            68-73-71-68--280  -8 
                  Schnickley (RAS), $12,856     70-70-71-69--280  -8 
                  D'Amor (ALT), $12,856         70-72-69-69--280  -8 
                  Rewenlys (LEX), $12,856       71-70-69-70--280  -8 
                  Murial (NAM), $12,856         73-69-68-70--280  -8 
                  Tay (WMC), $12,856            74-68-68-70--280  -8 
                  Tensol (CHR), $12,856         71-69-69-71--280  -8 
                  Narresch (IWK), $12,856       73-68-68-71--280  -8 
                  DuBraal (KTZ), $12,856        71-68-68-73--280  -8 
                  Shearer (UNT), $12,856        69-70-67-74--280  -8
 
                  Galinheira (ORD), $8,640      71-71-70-69--281  -7 
                  Kipwuleru (WOO), $8,640       69-72-70-70--281  -7
 
                  Chelzes (SCK), $6,935         73-68-74-67--282  -6 
                  Kepparketl (ALT), $6,935      73-68-72-69--282  -6 
                  Kinkaid (RAS), $6,935         73-66-74-69--282  -6 
                  Gortsidler (ALT), $6,935      67-71-74-70--282  -6 
                  Strevel (MER), $6,935         69-73-70-70--282  -6 
                  Kitzler (WES), $6,935         72-70-69-71--282  -6 
                  Bartrim (FRW), $6,935         69-71-69-73--282  -6 

                  Straswell (WES), $6,210       68-73-74-68--283  -5 
                  L. Mitsuchen (WMC), $6,210    70-70-72-71--283  -5 
                  P. Cartwright (ARM), $6,210   70-71-71-71--283  -5
 
                  Nickerson (DAV), $6,021       71-71-72-70--284  -4 
                  Collino (ALT), $6,021         74-68-73-69--284  -4 
                  Fagundes (EST), $6,021        71-71-71-71--284  -4 
                  Bobone (ORD), $6,021          72-69-68-75--284  -4 

                  Merch (REZ), $5,886           69-71-73-72--285  -3 

                  Hauzu (WMC), $5,832           71-70-70-75--286  -2 

                  Clarkeston (FRW), $5,778      74-68-72-73--287  -1
 
                  Fildbauer (ALT), $5,670       71-71-76-70--288   E 
                  Distelbluth (WES), $5,670     68-73-74-73--288   E 
                  Balasta (LEN), $5,670         68-71-71-78--288   E 

                  Part (WMC), $5,508            70-71-78-70--289  +1 
                  Chriponsi (BRO), $5,508       71-70-75-73--289  +1 
                  Kresnick (SCK), $5,508        69-68-80-72--289  +1
 
                  Ham'Geld (FNZ), $5,400        74-68-71-78--291  +3