GLENEAGLES, Scotland, 8 August 2005 — Italy’s Emanuele Canonica ended a 14-year wait for a European Tour title when he won the Johnnie Walker Championship yesterday.

Canonica, ranked 353rd in the world, closed with a one-under-par 71 to total seven-under-par 281 for four rounds, two shots ahead of overnight leader Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium and Britons Barry Lane, Bradley Dredge and David Lynn.

The nearest the 34-year-old big-hitter from Turin had come to winning since first going to Tour school in 1991 was with second places in the 2000 Tournament Players Championship of Europe and 2002 Spanish Open.

He became the third Italian winner in recent times, after Ryder Cup player Costantino Rocca and Massimo Scarpa, with a composed final round, taking advantage of playing-partner Colsaerts falling away in the middle of the back nine.

Colsaerts began the round two shots ahead of Canonica but three consecutive bogeys from the 13th ended the Belgian 22-year-old’s chances. Dredge and Lane, who led jointly going into last week’s Scandinavian Masters final round, posed threats to Canonica’s long-awaited maiden success but came up short again.

Although Canonica has topped the tour’s driving-distance charts four times, it was his accuracy over the front nine, hitting all seven fairways as he went out two-under compared to Colsaerts two-over, that set up his victory.

It was assured when he chipped to five feet to birdie the long 16th.

Sorenstam Wins Her Own Tournament With Final Birdie

In Loddekopinge, Sweden, Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam birdied the last hole from about nine yards yesterday to win the Scandinavian TPC, edging United States’ Natalie Gulbis by one shot.

Sorenstam finished at 4-under 284 at Barseback, a course second only in length to the US Open on the women’s tour.

Sweden’s Carin Koch shared third with France’s Patricia Meunier-Lebouc and Gwladys Nocera at 288. Koch and Meunier-Lebouc shot 71s; Nocera 74.

“It was a wonderful finish - it wasn’t the world’s best tee shot, but then I got the ball on the green and rolled in the putt,” said Sorenstam, who was hugged by her parents after the win.

“We had it all today,” she added. “We had tough conditions, we had some drama coming down the 18th, some birdies and to roll in a putt and win your own tournament, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

The 34-year-old Sorenstam, hosting her debut tournament, and Gulbis were both at 3 under going into the final hole.

Gulbis, who birdied three straight holes from the 14th to move into contention, missed a birdie putt at the last. Sorenstam drove right into the trees on the final hole, a par-4 rated the toughest on the course.

“I was lucky,” Sorenstam said. “I was able to take a full back swing. I had an 8-iron, a perfect club, the ball went through the trees and on to the green. It was one of those shots that I probably will never forget.

“Natalie played some spectacular golf down the stretch. It was tough out there.”

The win was Sorenstam’s 75th career win and seventh of the year. She won the first two majors of the year - the Nabisco and LPGA Championships _ and six of her first eight events. But she had a disappointing US Open and had to settle with fifth in the British Open a week ago. The 22-year-old Gulbis was looking for her first pro win.Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, who trailed Sorenstam by one stroke after three rounds, hit a 76 and dropped to sixth at 289.

The TPC hosted by Annika is one of four LET events in the Volvo Cross Country Challenge in Scandinavia. The top 10 players in the final standings will share US$100,000 while a US$1 million jackpot was offered to the winner of all four tournaments.

Beckman Grabs Lead After Second Round of International

In Denver, Colorado, American Cameron Beckman rebounded to score 13 points and take the lead with a total of 23 points after the second round of the five million dollar PGA The International on Saturday.

Billy Mayfair, who celebrated his 39th birthday Saturday, Brandt Jobe and Charles Howell III are tied for second, one point back. Beckman had two pars and a pair of bogeys on his first four holes. Beckman started on 10 and dropped to minus-2 on the day with bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13. He fired birdies at the 15th and 17th to get back on the plus side and then warmed up on his final nine.

He eagled the par-5 first after hitting driver, 3-wood to 15 feet, and followed with birdies at the second and fourth.

A birdie at No. 7 pushed him past Mayfair and Howell, who were already in the clubhouse with 22 points.

“The format is interesting in that I couldn’t tell you what I shot either day, and so sometimes when you get in that fram