McNulty profits by chips and slips

Golf

Mark McNulty may not come in the top 10 in a long-driving competition, but his short game is one of the finest going. Yesterday, in conditions inappropriate for Sun City, the 42-year-old Zimbabwean conquered one of the longest courses in tournament golf to win the Dimension Data Pro-am.

A chip in from beside the 15th green helped McNulty to a four-shot victory on the 7,484-yard Gary Player course. A final round 73, one over par, was good enough for his 39th career title. "If I can get my wins to catch up my age, then I'll know I've had a good year," he said.

"It was a day for hanging in there," he added of the rain that plagued the final round. "You almost forgot there was a tournament to win because it was such hard work. I didn't see the chip at 15 go in, but it was the shot that won me the tournament, that and the 67 in the second round."

McNulty's day was made easier by the lack of a potent challenge. Brenden Pappas, the 25-year-old South African who equalled the course record of 64 on Saturday, slipped away with a 76. He tied for second with Nick Price, who shot a level par 72, and the Englishman Ricky Willison.

The former printer from Ealing, who turned professional at the age of 32, shot the best score of the day by two shots. His 68 was made by a four-under outward half and his top-10 finish enables him to tee up in this week's South African PGA. Gary Evans will also play in Johannesburg after sneaking into joint 10th place with a birdie at the last, having suffered a triple and a double-bogey in a front nine of 43.

DIMENSION DATA PRO-AM (Sun City, South Africa; SA unless stated): 282 M McNulty (Zim) 69 67 73 73. 286 N Price (Zim) 68 72 74 72; R Willison (GB) 73 73 72 68; B Pappas 69 77 64 76. 287 A Cruse 73 67 73 74. 288 M Christie (US) 71 73 72 72. 289 T Dodds (Nam) 74 72 72 71; P Moore (US) 72 73 71 73; M Gortana 71 73 69 76. 290 D Smyth (Irl) 73 73 73 71; M Wills (GB) 77 67 73 73, J McHenry (Irl) 72 71 73 74; G Evans (GB) 72 72 69 77. 291 S van Vuuren 76 70 75 70; M Hallberg (Swe) 71 72 77 71; P Horgan (US) 72 73 75 71, B Lincoln 75 72 73 71; I Woosnam (GB) 74 72 74 71; D Pappas 72 69 78 72; P Quirici (Swit) 73 70 75 73; E Darcy (Irl) 73 73 72 73; T Bjorn (Den) 72 73 69 77. 292 G Turner (NZ) 72 72 75 73; R Burns (GB) 75 69 74 74; M du Toit 74 71 73 74; S Struver (Ger) 68 75 74 75; T Gogele (Ger) 72 70 75 75. 293 C Davison (GB) 71 74 76 72; D J Russell (GB) 73 71 76 73. 295 A Cejka (Ger) 71 76 74 74. 296 C Cevaer (Fr) 74 68 77 77. 298 M Board (US) 73 69 75 81. 299 R Butcher (US) 71 73 77 78; D Howell (GB) 74 72 73 80. 303 F Nobilo (NZ) 73 74 80 76.