Kirch, tagged as the Deuco version of Pancho McFEELEY in 299 after some
very impressive showings by the youngster, finally got his first win
Sunday with a closing 7-under-par 63 at the Cove Air Bristol Classic. 

"I don't feel like it should have taken so much time," Kirch said. "I
felt like I played good enough to win before this. It's been hard, but I
think it's even sweeter now. 

"They always say the first one is the toughest, so hopefully I'll start
doing some nice things." 

The Deuco finished at 13-under 267, two strokes ahead of Namurian Edig
DRENNER and local and tournament favorite Tony GELFINGER, who missed
three short putts en route to a 70 and lost out on winning on home
ground. 

After starting five strokes behind Gelfinger, Kirch put himself in
position with a 6-under 29 on the front nine. He caught up with the
Covian at 13 under with a 20-foot birdie on the 178-yard 13th hole --
his only backside birdie. 

"I made a great shot on [No.] 9, and all of a sudden he bogeyed [No.] 8
and we're not that far away," Kirch said. "I was trying to make birdies,
but more than anything, I didn't want to make any bogeys." 

Gelfinger, who was two holes behind Kirch, gave up the lead at the
457-yard 14th hole when his approach went over the green and his 3-foot
par putt slid over the right edge of the cup for a bogey to drop to 12
under. 

Kirch, whose 15-foot birdie attempt at No. 14 moments earlier had
stopped right by the hole, was coming up inches short of a lengthy
birdie putt ahead at 188-yard 16th hole. Another long birdie attempt did
the same at No. 17. 

"It wasn't that I played poorly today. It's just that there seems to be
a mental block today for me on the backside," Gelfinger said. "I used to
be able to finish it pretty easily. I struggled today when I had a shot
at it." 

Gelfinger, who birdied the last two holes Saturday for a share of the
lead with Armatirion's Martin LOWE, fell to two strokes behind when
another 3-foot par putt -- after chipping from behind the green --
lipped the cup at No. 17. 

"I don't know what to say other than I didn't see the line," Gelfinger
said of his missed putts. "I missed three ... and they all hurt."
 
Drenner shot a 65 for his best career finish. Altlander Jan FILDBAUER
was fourth at 270, while Lowe, after a closing 73, was at 272 along with
Pit NORLING and Dragon TAY. 

Gelfinger had birdied four of his first seven holes to get to 15 under.
Then he had bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9, missing a 2-foot par putt to end the
back nine. 

The $352,000 Christiana Crowns he earned for his runner-up finish,
however catapult the Covian back to the top of the Order of Merit,
breaking the $2 million mark.

Kirch finished his front side with a tap-in birdie at the 402-yard ninth
hole -- where the pin was tucked just feet in front of a water hazard --
to move to 12 under. At the same time, Gelfinger moved to 15 under with
an 8-foot birdie at No. 7. 

Bowdani's Piere WERKEM was the second-round leader before a 3-over 73 on
Saturday. He rebounded with a 68 on Sunday to finish six strokes back. 

The first shot of the day for Lowe went into the rough, then his second
shot clipped a tree and his approach on the 565-yard first hole flew
over the green. After his only highlight, holing a 75-foot shot from a
greenside bunker on the 470-yard fifth hole -- which he called "sheer
luck" -- he bogeyed two of the next three to fall out of contention. 

"I was a little nervous starting out and kind of got behind the 8-ball,"
Lowe said.  He had never been in contention at an IGT event before.

The Cove Air Bristol Classic was moved for various reasons from its
original date, which was supposed to be two weeks ago.  After two weeks
of tournament cancellations, it is the continuation of the 301 IGT
season!

The final results and earnings, in Christiana Crowns:

Kirch (DEU)           1   69-69-66-63  267  $720,000.00

Drenner (NAM)        T2   66-69-69-65  269  $352,000.00
Gelfinger (LCP)      T2   65-68-66-70  269  $352,000.00

Fildbauer (ALT)       4   68-72-64-66  270  $192,000.00

Norling (ALT)        T5   69-67-70-66  272  $146,000.00
Tay (WMC)            T5   72-65-65-70  272  $146,000.00
Lowe (ARM)           T5   69-64-66-73  272  $146,000.00

Coswyn (SOM)         T8   72-62-69-70  273  $116,000.00
Werkem (BOW)         T8   68-64-73-68  273  $116,000.00
Bilau (NAM)          T8   67-70-66-70  273  $116,000.00

Uroja (UTA)         T11   69-68-68-69  274   $88,000.00
Sinclair (FRW)      T11   70-69-67-68  274   $88,000.00
Grünwiesen (WES)    T11   69-68-69-68  274   $88,000.00
Elf (DEU)           T11   71-66-67-70  274   $88,000.00

Larocquette (DAV)   T15   72-68-65-70  275   $64,000.00
Azatinou (ACH)      T15   71-69-67-68  275   $64,000.00
Aretasuna (UTA)     T15   67-68-68-72  275   $64,000.00
Murial (NAM)        T15   71-64-69-71  275   $64,000.00
Huskarl (ALT)       T15   68-67-70-70  275   $64,000.00

Cates (DAV)         T20   70-68-67-71  276   $50,000.00
Orford (FRW)        T20   71-68-69-68  276   $50,000.00

Buettner (GUW)      T22   73-67-68-69  277   $40,000.00
Burchard (CHR)      T22   65-71-69-72  277   $40,000.00
Rosebridge (SOM)    T22   71-64-71-71  277   $40,000.00
Shonaugh (SOM)      T22   68-67-72-70  277   $40,000.00

Chelzes (SCK)       T26   68-73-67-70  278   $27,800.00
Kilet (BOW)         T26   68-71-66-73  278   $27,800.00
Kruddorf (SCK)      T26   70-68-71-69  278   $27,800.00
Senaduro (CAB)      T26   71-70-67-70  278   $27,800.00
Shearer (UNT)       T26   70-71-67-70  278   $27,800.00
Lariman (REZ)       T26   68-73-64-73  278   $27,800.00
Lubjana (DRA)       T26   68-69-72-69  278   $27,800.00
Osicra (RAN)        T26   72-67-70-69  278   $27,800.00

Durranende (LEN)    T34   70-67-70-72  279   $20,200.00
Caldaravo (LEN)     T34   71-71-70-67  279   $20,200.00
Caird (CAL)         T34   71-65-70-73  279   $20,200.00
Sanfreddian (IWK)   T34   68-71-69-71  279   $20,200.00
N'Banj (UTA)        T34   75-66-68-70  279   $20,200.00
Bruxelles (LOM)     T34   70-70-68-71  279   $20,200.00

Silva (FRW)         T40   71-66-73-70  280   $15,200.00
Galinheira (ORD)    T40   71-71-66-72  280   $15,200.00
Narresch (IWK)      T40   71-67-69-73  280   $15,200.00
Simpson (LCP)       T40   70-68-72-70  280   $15,200.00
Pishenky (DRA)      T40   74-67-72-67  280   $15,200.00
Holland (CHR)       T40   73-69-66-72  280   $15,200.00

McFeeley (SPA)      T46   69-68-73-71  281   $10,880.00
Balasta (LEN)       T46   69-69-69-74  281   $10,880.00
Nickerson (DAV)     T46   71-70-68-72  281   $10,880.00
D'Oliveira (ORD)    T46   69-68-73-71  281   $10,880.00
Mandrin (BOW)       T46   69-69-71-72  281   $10,880.00
Thomasson (LCP)     T46   75-67-66-73  281   $10,880.00

Gortsidler (ALT)    T52   73-69-70-70  282    $9,520.00
Kronberg (CAB)      T52   70-72-69-71  282    $9,520.00

Kresnick (SCK)      T54   72-70-69-72  283    $9,160.00
Bneressia (NAM)     T54   69-71-68-75  283    $9,160.00
Starn (LCP)         T54   73-65-69-76  283    $9,160.00
Tennant (ARM)       T54   74-68-70-71  283    $9,160.00

Uunderfvil (KTZ)    T58   70-71-73-70  284    $8,840.00
Du Klerik (REZ)     T58   73-67-68-76  284    $8,840.00
Gangaram (WMC)      T58   71-71-69-73  284    $8,840.00
Disbach (ARO)       T58   70-71-68-75  284    $8,840.00

Dahlista (CAB)      T62   72-68-71-74  285    $8,520.00
Sunilam (WMC)       T62   67-72-72-74  285    $8,520.00
Lumle (LEX)         T62   70-70-69-76  285    $8,520.00
Turhan (ALB)        T62   70-70-74-71  285    $8,520.00

de Dronk (ALT)       66   72-70-68-76  286    $8,320.00

Harrison (MER)       67   69-71-72-75  287    $8,240.00

Falangio (EKZ)       68   69-70-74-75  288    $8,160.00

Weilderman (BOW)     69   70-71-75-74  290    $8,080.00

Saby (DEU)           70   70-69-73-79  291    $8,000.00

Olejnik (GUW)        71   70-71-77-76  294    $7,920.00