Protheroe holed a seemingly impossible 25-foot birdie putt on the final
hole for a one-stroke victory over the stunned DuBraal, making the
Whitlamite the third player from that country to win on the IGT. 

"It's beyond words for me. I'm real happy with my game. And after all
the putting problems I've had, it's a pleasure to be playing well
again," said Protheroe, who went though a spell of bad putting that had
kept him off the top ranks in several tournaments. 

He closed with a 7-under-par 64 to score a 20-under 260 total on the
golf course that was generally perceived as being set up too easy.  "A
tournament of the stature of the Whitlam Open should perhaps pose more
of a challenge" said Masters Champion Rod Sinclair, who came third.

After holing the winning putt, Protheroe ran off the green, his arms in
the air, working the enthused Whitlamite crowds, who had come in record
numbers to see their heroes who were represented well on the top of the
leader board.

DuBraal, who was also chasing his firt win, lost his opening
three-stroke lead early then tied Protheroe with a late eagle, just
closed his eyes. 

"I didn't think he was going to make it," said a shocked DuBraal, who
moments earlier missed his birdie attempt by inches. "I thought he was
aiming too far to the right, but he had the ultimate speed on it. It was
kind of a shock.  I thought we were going to a playoff!" 

Protheroe made short work of DuBraal's three-stroke lead. He birdied
Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 7, rolling in putts of between 10 and 25 feet. He putts
either left-handed or right-handed depending upon the break. The
tournament winner came from the right side. 

"I was lucky to be the one closest to the hole," Protheroe said. "He
couldn't really go for it, and it just gave me a green light to get a
good read and give it a chance." 

Protheroe caught DuBraal on the par-4 seventh hole when he rolled in a
15-footer for birdie after DuBraal tapped in for par. 

Protheroe made his biggest move on the shortest hole. DuBraal's drive on
the par-3 11th hole landed in the greenside trap on the 158-yard hole. 
He eventually bogeyed. Protheroe took the lead when he made a 2-foot par
putt. He birdied the next hole for a two-stroke lead. 

Both players drove the green on the 296-yard 15th hole. DuBraal's ball
stopped 6 feet from the pin and he sank his eagle putt. Protheroe's
drive rolled across the green and into the backside fringe. A chip and
two putts later, they were tied at 19 under with three holes to play. 

"I was just trying to hit a good shot and get it on the green and make
birdie. Just so happens I hit an incredible 3-wood in there," DuBraal
said. "And he blew it by and I was surprised when he missed the finish." 

DuBraal, still winless on the IGT, picked up a $302,000 Christiana
Crowns second-place check.  It is the closest an Eastern Zartanian
golfer has come to winning on the IGT.  Rod Sinclair shot a 67 to finish
four strokes back.  Another Whitlamite favorite, Jeff Orford,
surprisingly missed the cut, as did several other big names, including
Pancho McFeeley and Valdemar Oostingverde.

The tournament was criticised by some players for it's relatively small
purse: "The Whitlam Open isn't just any tournament," remarked James
Nithz, "one would perhaps think that this would be one of the higher
purses of the non-major tournaments."  The sentiment was shared by
several other players.  Sponsor Erste Communications has announced that
likely the purse will increase for next year's Whitlam Open.

The final scores and earnings, in Christiana Crowns:

  Protheroe (FRW), $504,000              64-65-67-64-260  20 under

  DuBraal (KTZ), $302,400                65-64-64-68-261  19 under

  Sinclair (FRW), $190,400               64-72-61-67-264  16 under

  Salvatori (FRW), $134,400              66-66-67-67-266  14 under 

  Kilet (BOW), $98,350                   69-66-67-66-268  12 under
  Cartier (FRW), $98,350                 67-67-67-67-268
  Gelulola (NIO), $98,350                65-69-67-67-268
  Olejnik (GUW), $98,350                 67-64-66-71-268

  Pots (ALT), $75,600                    68-70-66-65-269  11 under
  Bartrim (FRW), $75,600                 67-70-66-66-269
  Galinheira (ORD), $75,600              68-68-66-67-269

  Nithz (OOO), $61,600                   66-66-70-68-270  10 under
  Saby (DEU), $61,600                    68-70-64-68-270

  Najunder (WMC), $49,000                64-70-70-67-271   9 under
  Tay (WMC), $49,000                     68-69-66-68-271
  Seruca (KAL), $49,000                  68-69-66-68-271
  Tahoma (CHR), $49,000                  69-64-69-69-271

  Huyfrino (BRO), $34,080                66-71-71-64-272   8 under
  Rannatosu (UTA), $34,080               69-67-68-68-272
  Von Chicken (WES), $34,080             69-66-69-68-272
  Chelzes (SCK), $34,080                 72-66-66-68-272
  Davys (FRW), $34,080                   67-69-67-69-272
  Suey (WMC), $34,080                    67-66-69-70-272
  Pickering (ARM), $34,080               67-67-68-70-272

  Starn (LCP), $20,920                   69-69-70-65-273   7 under
  Waturnowani (ALL), $20,920             64-71-71-67-273
  Beobidhenhe (EDE), $20,920             67-69-70-67-273
  Tennant (ARM), $20,920                 67-68-71-67-273
  Chimes (SCK), $20,920                  66-69-68-70-273
  Weslow (IWK), $20,920                  67-66-69-71-273
  M. Rothies, Jr. (WES), $20,920         70-67-65-71-273

  Kluffen (WES), $13,627                 66-73-69-66-274   6 under
  Sachient (WMC), $13,627                69-70-68-67-274
  Ferhentodo (EDE), $13,627              70-69-68-67-274
  Werkem (BOW), $13,627                  71-67-68-68-274
  Fornende (EST), $13,627                67-68-70-69-274
  Jensen (CHR), $13,627                  69-70-67-68-274
  Lumle (LEX), $13,627                   65-68-71-70-274
  Verde (ORD), $13,627                   71-67-66-70-274
  Bieri (WES), $13,627                   67-70-67-70-274
  Huskarl (ALT), $13,627                 67-68-68-71-274
  Siggis (BOB), $13,627                  65-69-69-71-274
  Strevel (MER), $13,627                 66-67-68-73-274

  Merch (REZ), $8,960                    66-70-71-68-275   5 under
  Okay (WMC), $8,960                     68-71-68-68-275
  Kossuth (SPA), $8,960                  65-72-69-69-275
  Jarvie (MER), $8,960                   71-67-64-73-275

  D'Amor (ALT), $7,123                   68-70-70-68-276   4 under
  Yurhaus (MER), $7,123                  69-68-69-70-276
  Dahlista (CAB), $7,123                 68-70-67-71-276
  Childress (SCK), $7,123                65-69-70-72-276
  Von Toschamerton (DEY), $7,123         65-70-68-73-276

  Narresch (IWK), $6,451                 68-71-73-65-277   3 under
  Wan Hujan (LEX), $6,451                71-68-70-68-277
  Bedinsson (NEO), $6,451                69-70-69-69-277
  Nickerson (DAV), $6,451                69-68-69-71-277
  Larocquette (DAV), $6,451              67-65-72-73-277

  Shigetsuki (WMC), $6,076               65-70-75-68-278   2 under
  Bin'Weri (FNZ), $6,076                 71-67-72-68-278
  Fittler (FRW), $6,076                  68-71-71-68-278
  Kepparketl (ALT), $6,076               67-70-72-69-278
  Z'Bagoor (LEX), $6,076                 68-69-72-69-278
  Pennenton (UTA), $6,076                71-67-70-70-278
  Fildbauer (ALT), $6,076                69-70-69-70-278
  Lamar (LCP), $6,076                    69-69-69-71-278

  Sunilam (WMC), $5,656                  70-69-75-65-279   1 under
  Thomasson (LCP), $5,656                70-69-71-69-279
  Rajpatell (WMC), $5,656                68-71-71-69-279
  Zirandria (NAM), $5,656                67-70-71-71-279
  Russell (FRW), $5,656                  67-68-72-72-279
  Gutierrez (SPA), $5,656                67-72-68-72-279
  Youlduahe (NIO), $5,656                68-70-67-74-279

  Zoek (WES), $5,376                     70-69-70-71-280   Even
  Kessel (KTZ), $5,376                   67-72-69-72-280
  Obamounde (NIO), $5,376                65-72-70-73-280

  Horsnell (UNT), $5,208                 71-68-72-70-281   1 over
  Walker (BOW), $5,208                   69-70-71-71-281
  Feoddu (KTZ), $5,208                   69-70-70-72-281

  Boyd (FRW), $5,096                     66-67-76-73-282   2 over

  DeDronk (ALT), $5,040                  71-66-77-69-283   3 over

  Bir'Her (FNZ), $4,956                  68-71-75-70-284   4 over
  L. Mitsuchen (WMC), $4,956             67-69-76-72-284
  Burchard (CHR), $4,872                 70-68-70W/D-284