The Brolecian, who has been trying so hard to win on TOUR, shot a 5-
under-par 67 -- over two days -- to hold off a resilient Charlie VON 
CHICKEN and win for the second time in as many weeks. The victory, 
worth a record purse $1,080,000 Christiana Crowns to Birch, propelled 
him to near the top of the IGT Order of Merit. 

"I've always thought that this was a big tournament," he said. "I 
think it's exciting to be able to play in a field this deep and to be 
able to come out on top. ... This is a big tournament, and like 
everybody is saying, it's probably the fifth major.  The more I am 
delighted to be able to finally celebrate my first win here!" 

The drama that attended Monday's rain-delayed final nine holes on the 
Prechtl Park National GC was certainly worthy of major-caliber 
tournament action. 

Birch never lost the lead he gained for good on the ninth and final 
hole he played on Sunday. But he faced spirited challenges Monday 
from Von Chicken; San Patricio's favorite son, Pancho McFEELEY, who 
finished fourth, and another local hero, last year's Order of Merit 
Champion Matthias ROTHIES, Jr., who was alone in third. 

Von Chicken moved within a stroke of Birch with a 5-foot birdie putt 
on the 13th hole. But his drive at the next tee was what Von Chicken 
would later call "my killer blow." The double-cross sent his ball 
sailing left where it was deposited in the water on the way to a 
triple bogey. 

"It was just a straight pull," the Westrian said with a sigh. "It's 
caused by a little too quick of a swing. You know, too aggressive and 
too anxious, I guess." 

Von Chicken, though, rebounded splendidly. Undaunted, he told his 
caddy they had four holes left -- and they needed to birdie every 
one. 

Von Chicken came close, too. He coaxed an 8-footer through the rough 
just off the green with the toe of his putter for an eagle on the 
16th hole. Then he added a 6-footer for birdie at No. 17 to move back 
to 13 under. 

"Playing the last three holes over here, anything can happen," said 
Von Chicken, who used to live just five miles from this course when 
the IGT first came to life. "It's all over water -- and 17 has always 
had some drama and 18, as well. 

"But being two shots back from Leopard, he's not going to make any 
mistakes. He's too good of a player to do that." 

Von Chicken was right. Birch, who was playing a group behind Von 
Chicken, heard the eagle roar. And Birch was surveying his own 40-
footer for eagle at the 16th as the Westrian sized up his birdie putt 
on the nearby par-3 17th green. 

"I don't know how [my eagle] putt didn't go in," said Birch, who 
watched as his ball nicked the hole before stopping inches away. "It 
was such a pure putt. It was a triple-breaker. I knew I hit it the 
right pace. I just needed to get it down there. 

"And it would have been nice to be able to top Charlie; Charlie makes 
birdie and loses a shot. That's how I was thinking when the ball was 
going down there." 

Birch's tap-in birdie still kept him two strokes ahead of Von Chicken 
-- giving him some breathing room at the 17th when his ball slid 
across the green and stopped perilously in the fringe on the hazard 
line. Birch's chip there came up short but he made the par putt. His 
bogey at the 18th hole was academic once Von Chicken missed a 20-
footer for birdie. 

"I wasn't playing that bad," Birch said of his so-called victory 
drought. "It wasn't like I was missing cuts every week. I was right 
there with a chance to win in virtually every tournament I teed it up 
in and I think that's pretty good. 

"It's just that I had not won, and that's part of the game. It is a 
game that is very fickle. You can try as hard as you want, and 
sometimes it just doesn't work out. 

"Now I've won one of the biggest tournaments, and I'm sure they will 
write about something else." 
 

Final scores and earnings, in Christiana Crowns:

Birch (BRO)           $1,080,000   72-69-66-67--274    14 under

Von Chicken (WES)       $648,000   67-70-70-68--275    13 under

M. Rothies, Jr. (WES)   $408,000   73-68-68-67--276    12 under

McFeeley (SPA)          $288,000   69-66-70-73--278    10 under

Shonaugh (SOM)          $228,000   68-72-70-71--281     7 under
Sinclair (FRW)          $228,000   72-71-68-70--281

Kilet (BOW)             $187,000   66-70-74-72--282     6 under
Oostingverde (WES)      $187,000   67-70-71-74--282
Larocquette (DAV)       $187,000   72-72-70-68--282

Kronberg (CAB)          $156,000   73-73-67-70--283     5 under
Aretasuna (UTA)         $156,000   70-74-71-68--283

Lamar (LCP)             $126,000   71-71-72-70--284     4 under
Havrillak (MER)         $126,000   71-76-68-69--284
Ipsi (KTZ)              $126,000   70-77-66-71--284

Antanavo (LEN)          $102,000   72-71-69-73--285     3 under
Beobidhenhe (EDE)       $102,000   70-73-73-69--285
Holland (CHR)           $102,000   73-71-71-70--285

Burchard (CHR)           $84,000   77-67-69-73--286     2 under
Orford (FRW)             $84,000   67-72-76-71--286
Lyons (UNT)              $84,000   71-66-74-75--286

Pharinser (DRA)          $62,400   68-75-71-73--287     1 under
Nithz (OOO)              $62,400   72-75-72-68--287
Kirch (DEU)              $62,400   72-69-76-70--287
Norling (ALT)            $62,400   73-74-71-69--287
Huskarl (ALT)            $62,400   73-72-69-73--287

Galinheira (ORD)         $44,400   72-70-74-72--288     Even
Cates (DAV)              $44,400   75-70-72-71--288
Rannatosu (UTA)          $44,400   72-74-73-69--288
Falangio (EKZ)           $44,400   68-78-69-73--288
Rosebridge (SOM)         $44,400   77-68-72-71--288

Coswyn (SOM)             $38,100   74-70-73-72--289     1 over
Parsley (DAV)            $38,100   72-71-76-70--289

Uunderfvil (KTZ)         $31,029   74-73-75-68--290     2 over
Hammerstein (REZ)        $31,029   70-71-77-72--290
Predicor (ALB)           $31,029   70-75-73-72--290
Weilderman (BOW)         $31,029   73-68-72-77--290
Pickering (ARM)          $31,029   71-73-76-70--290
Kilandra (BOW)           $31,029   72-71-75-72--290
Tay (WMC)                $31,029   73-73-69-75--290

Fagundes (EST)           $24,000   70-73-76-72--291     3 over
Bilau (NAM)              $24,000   73-74-72-72--291
Straswell (WES)          $24,000   71-71-75-74--291
Kluffen (WES)            $24,000   72-73-74-72--291

MacGillivray (CAL)       $18,140   72-73-74-73--292     4 over
T. Rothies (WES)         $18,140   70-73-75-74--292
Zoek (WES)               $18,140   71-75-77-69--292
Imvaldt (WES)            $18,140   72-74-73-73--292
Seruca (KAL)             $18,140   69-75-72-76--292
Lubjana (DRA)            $18,140   77-69-72-74--292

Senaduro (CAB_           $14,472   74-73-73-73--293     5 over
Mandrin (BOW)            $14,472   69-73-75-76--293
N'Banj (UTA)             $14,472   73-73-75-72--293
L. Mitsuchen (WMC)       $14,472   73-74-74-72--293
Siggis (BOB)             $14,472   72-71-72-78--293

Malachai (KTZ)           $13,680   73-71-75-75--294     6 over
Indurain (DEU)           $13,680   71-72-75-76--294
Caird (CAL)              $13,680   74-73-74-73--294

Klagstein (WES)          $13,080   71-73-72-79--295     7 over
Queal (SOM)              $13,080   71-75-70-79--295
Kruddorf (SCK)           $13,080   74-70-71-80--295
Starn (LCP)              $13,080   72-72-76-75--295
Kresnick (SCK)           $13,080   71-75-73-76--295
Brok'levitsch (KTZ)      $13,080   71-74-73-77--295
Zirandria (NAM)          $13,080   78-69-77-71--295

Gnorelia (CAB)           $12,480   71-74-76-76--297     9 over
Chriponsi (BRO)          $12,480   73-71-72-81--297
Von Toschamerton (DEY)   $12,480   73-73-75-76--297

Amadone (ACH)            $12,180   73-74-76-75--298    10 over
MacKirdy (CAL)           $12,180   74-73-76-75--298

Ferhentodo (EDE)         $11,880   72-75-82-70--299    11 over
Sandario (TIG)           $11,880   72-75-72-80--299
Werkem (BOW)             $11,880   73-73-81-72--299

Kessel (KTZ)             $11,520   69-72-81-78--300    12 over
Dascunyan (LOM)          $11,520   73-72-79-76--300
Osicra (RAN)             $11,520   73-72-78-77--300

Vassallirro (MER)             $0   72-74-77-DQ