Talk that his father had to go has been powerful motivation during Elf's
rise to the IGT, and his progress towards improving his positions. The
breakthrough victory came Monday in the rain-delayed Thekla Hotels
Albion-Merite Imperial Open at the Icasat Country Club, which he won by
three shots over another rookie, Bowdanian Jaquese MANDRIN. 

"Everybody was thinking, well, you got to change your swing, you are
done, you are over, you better retire," Elf said. "I don't know what is
going on. All of a sudden it looks like I am the best player in the
world. This is crazy, but it is the way it is." 

With his strong play starting to establish Elf as a serious contender
for the Rookie of the Year Award - the 21-year-old Deuco said a lot of
people are being proven wrong about both his swing and his father's
"great" coaching. 

"I think that everybody who said that my swing was bad and I had to
change it, I think they're going to have to eat all those words that
they said," Elf said. "I think it's a pretty good swing." 

It was better than pretty good on Monday, when Elf shot a nearly
flawless 4-under 67 to win at 16-under 268. 

Mandrin, who shot 68 Monday while playing in the same threesome as Elf,
was alone in second at 271. Reynold JARVIE, David HAVRILLAK and Rod
SINCLAIR were two strokes behind Mandrin at 273. 

Open of the Realm Champion Amea ARETASUNA, meanwhile, was never a factor
in the final two rounds and finished 12 shots behind Elf in a tie for
16th. He said after his final round he was still overwhelmed with his
major win two weeks ago, and all the attention that came with it. 

Elf said his goal was to become the best player in the world.

"I think I'm getting closer and closer," he said, adding that to
supplant the tour's top players he'd have to start winning and placing
in the top-10 consistently. 

Sinclair said Elf isn't in the top league yet, but he's also not far
behind. 

"Hey, he has got all the game right now," said the 300 Vexillium Masters
Champion. "Obviously, he is not at the top echelon's level, but right
now I'd put him close.  If he plays like today, we should see him move
up that Order of Merit very fast." 

Mandrin started the day at 10 under, two behind Elf, and briefly caught
the leader at 12 under with birdies on the fourth and fifth holes. But
Elf took the lead back with a birdie on the 326-yard, par-4 seventh
after nearly driving the green, and held it the rest of the way. 

Both Mandrin and Elf made birdies on the 10th, another short par-4, and
Elf took a two-shot lead on the 13th after hitting a 9-iron from the
fairway within a foot of the cup. 

Mandrin, meanwhile, was steadily making pars when he needed birdies. He
made eight straight pars on the back nine, usually putting from 15 feet
or more, and could never put any real pressure on Elf. 

Trying for an eagle on the par-5 final hole, Mandrin went for the green
on his second shot. He missed to the right and made par from the rough. 

Elf reached the same green in two with an iron and two-putted for a
birdie he didn't need. 

"Today it could have been so low," Elf said. "I played so well today." 

 "I didn't have my `A' game, as some would say," Mandrin said. "I never
could put the pressure on Elf." 

Aretasuna, who needed a second-round 66 just to make the cut after an
opening 75, started the day eight shots behind Elf and immediately
bogeyed Nos. 1 and 2 to end any chance of a comeback. 

He had two other bogeys and four birdies to finish the day where he
started, at 4 under. 

"You can't play good every week, but what you can do is try," the Realm
Open said. "I tried on every shot. It really wasn't there. There's not
more I can do about that. I know my mental state is a little bit off.
... I am totally star struck from the last two weeks." 

The final round of the Sanx Open was pushed back to Monday because of
rain, which interrupted the first round and postponed the third.  The
Albion_merite players overall did very well, with no less than five
placing in the top-10!
 

The final results and earnings, in Christiana Crowns:

Elf (DEU), $630,000           68-67-66-67--268 -16

Mandrin (BOW), $378,000       67-68-68-68--271 -13

Havrillak (ALB), $182,000     70-69-68-66--273 -11
Sinclair (FRW), $182,000      65-72-69-67--273 -11
Jarvie (MER), $182,000        68-69-67-69--273 -11

Norling (ALT), $121,625       67-70-70-67--274 -10
Yurhaus (MER), $121,625       69-72-66-67--274 -10

Orford (FRW), $105,000        69-68-74-64--275  -9
Predicor (ALB), $105,000      71-68-67-69--275  -9

Strevel (MER), $94,500        70-72-65-69--276  -8

Huskarl (ALT), $84,000        71-71-69-67--278  -6
Galinheira (ORD), $84,000     70-70-69-69--278  -6

Holland (CHR), $67,667        70-68-72-69--279  -5
Bedinsson (NEO), $67,667      71-69-67-72--279  -5
Dahlista (CAB), $67,667       68-70-68-73--279  -5

Lowe (ARM), $56,000          72-70-69-69--280  -4
Aretasuna (UTA), $56,000     75-66-68-71--280  -4
Harrison (MER), $56,000      71-70-68-71--280  -4

Antanavo (LEN), $39,500      70-73-69-69--281  -3
Koreti (RAB), $39,500        72-71-69-69--281  -3
Kilet (BOW), $39,500         69-71-72-69--281  -3
DeJargen (BOW), $39,500      72-70-69-70--281  -3
Larocquette (DAV), $39,500   69-69-72-71--281  -3
Zirandria (NAM), $39,500     71-72-67-71--281  -3
Rannatosu (UTA), $39,500     68-68-73-72--281  -3

Coswyn (SOM), $25,375        71-73-68-70--282  -2
Detarti (RAB), $25,375       68-73-72-69--282  -2
Amadone (ACH), $25,375       71-68-72-71--282  -2
Bromaghim (MER), $25,375     73-69-69-71--282  -2
Pishenky (DRA), $25,375      71-67-72-72--282  -2
Leuwenzaan (LOM), $25,375    73-68-70-71--282  -2

Parsley (DAV), $19,810       72-69-72-70--283  -1
Weilderman (BOW), $19,810    70-71-72-70--283  -1
Hammerstein (REZ), $19,810   69-73-69-72--283  -1
Du Klerik (REZ), $19,810     70-69-71-73--283  -1
Jernandez (DEU), $19,810     72-68-70-73--283  -1

Vassallirro (MER), $14,000   70-69-73-72--284   E
Collino (ALT), $14,000       72-72-68-72--284   E
Pennenton (UTA), $14,000     71-71-71-71--284   E
Melk (SNX), $14,000          70-71-71-72--284   E
Matthewman (ARM), $14,000    69-70-74-71--284   E
Buettner (GUW), $14,000      69-69-75-71--284   E
McKey (ROS), $14,000         73-68-70-73--284   E
Deball (STK), $14,000        74-69-71-70--284   E
Falangio (EKZ), $14,000      70-74-71-69--284   E
Bin'Weri (FNZ), $14,000      71-68-71-74--284   E

Caird (CAL), $9,613          74-67-71-73--285  +1
Lavamil (KAL), $9,613        70-71-74-70--285  +1
Tennant (ARM), $9,613        72-72-71-70--285  +1

Goldsmith (NEO), $8,715      71-69-71-75--286  +2
MacKirdy (CAL), $8,715       70-72-74-70--286  +2

Rosebridge (SOM), $8,208     69-72-71-75--287  +3
Idiome (BRO), $8,208         71-72-71-73--287  +3
Kipwuleru (WOO), $8,208      73-69-74-71--287  +3
Joyce (SPA), $8,208          71-73-74-69--287  +3

A. Carter (NEO), $7,770      73-67-72-76--288  +4
Chriponsi (BRO), $7,770      69-71-73-75--288  +4
Fletcher (ARM), $7,770       71-73-70-74--288  +4
Birch (BRO), $7,770          69-75-72-72--288  +4
O'Banion (SPA), $7,770       73-69-68-78--288  +4
Lamar (LCP), $7,770          77-66-74-71--288  +4
Werkem (BOW), $7,770         72-72-73-71--288  +4

Zoek (WES), $7,455           69-73-70-77--289  +5
Shigetsuki (WMC), $7,455     72-69-73-75--289  +5

Dragurdt (KAL), $7,245       69-73-71-77--290  +6
Starn (LCP), $7,245          71-73-70-76--290  +6
Da Gama (ORD), $7,245        76-67-74-73--290  +6
Bir'Her (FNZ), $7,245        73-67-78-72--290  +6

Queal (SOM), $6,895          70-73-72-76--291  +7
Silva (FRW), $6,895          72-66-79-74--291  +7
Nickerson (DAV), $6,895      73-71-74-73--291  +7
Uroja (UTA), $6,895          73-71-74-73--291  +7
Gangaram (WMC), $6,895       74-70-74-73--291  +7
Huyfrino (BRO), $6,895       72-72-75-72--291  +7

Chimes (SCK), $6,650         72-72-72-76--292  +8

Sotogune (WMC), $6,580       76-68-74-75--293  +9

Jensen (CHR), $6,475         73-71-75-76--295 +11
Schwartz (DEU), $6,475       71-73-78-73--295 +11

Bneressia (NAM), $6,370      73-70-78-75--296 +12

Ouesreche (BRO), $0          72-68-72-DQ