Price counts cost of success

Golf

An exhausted Nick Price promised himself an immediate holiday after beating David Frost in a closely-fought play-off finish to the Alfred Dunhill PGA in South Africa yesterday.

Price had to endure a nervous wait after scoring a 66 for his 19-under par 269 as Frost recovered to level with a birdie on the 18th - and force Price back out on to the Houghton Club course.

"I've run it a bit too hard these last few weeks," said the Zimbabwean, whose par on the first play-off hole was enough to beat Frost after the South African had missed his putt.

"It's been a bit like going 10 rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson. I need a break and this week I'm just going to sit on my backside and do nothing."

Alone in third place was the South African Nico van Rensburg, who started the day four shots behind Frost. He was followed by Retief Goosen, also of South Africa, two shots back on 272, who was in turn a shot better than American Greg Petersen, plus the South African pair of Wayne Westner and Marco Gortana.

But it was the race to the finish between Price and Frost which was the major focus of the day. When Price lost his cool after a three-putt to drop a shot on the third, the tournament came alight. "I got really angry with myself," said Price. "I knew that today I had to do something to be up there and sometimes you need that type of wake- up call."

Frost had surrendered his overnight lead by dropping four shots in the first five holes, the biggest blow a double-bogey six at the fifth.

Scores, Digest, page 19