OCHO RIOS, St Ann — It was high drama at the Panasonic Golf Classic here yesterday as a grand duel between Peter Horrobin and Garnett Wright finally ended in fading light, with the former snatching victory in the professional division following a quadruple play-off contest on the 18th hole.

Entering the second round three shots off the pace after carding a modest one-over 72 on Saturday, the wily and experienced Horrobin rallied in majestic fashion yesterday to end with a creditable one-under-par 70 at the end of 18 holes.

However, while overnight leader Bill Williams faded badly and was out of the reckoning with a disappointing final round score, Wright was his usual consistent self in carding a 70, following his 71 the previous day to end with a cumulative score of 140 — the same as Horrobin, thus necessitating a play-off.

Horrobin, who seemed unable to shrug off the tenacity of his rival, finally broke the deadlock by executing a wonderful chip shot from the edge of the bunker nearest the green, triggering a concession from Wright.

“I was stunned today,” said Horrobin at the end of an exhausting day.

“I felt like I was going to win, like I was going to shoot 65 at the start of the day, but I didn’t.

“I changed my ticket to come here to gear up for the Jamaica Open… I missed a lot of shots… couldn’t make birdies till I got to No 18. I am 26-0 in play-off as a pro, so even though it was dark… the last shot was a pressure shot and I needed to get up and finish the deal because of the dark,” he said.

For his troubles, Horrobin pocketed $100,000, while Wright copped $50,000, Williams $35,000 and fourth-placed Ernest Bernard, $32,000.

However, while the pros were engaged in their late afternoon heroics, Wesley Brown was his usual consistent self in landing the men’s division following a two-over 73 yesterday for a combined two-day total of 141.

Brown had sufficient motivation to defend his crown as he now reportedly wins an entry into the upcoming Jamaica Open to be held in Montego Bay at the end of this month.

“I didn’t hit the ball steadily today. The course played much tougher today, but I still managed to do enough to defend my title by keeping my head on my body,” the 20-year-old Brown told the Observer.

Bryan Bailey (148) and Gregory Wright (148) copped the minor places.

Meanwhile, there was another tie-breaker yesterday as perennial Ladies protagonists Jodi Barrow and Maggie Lyn engaged in a shootout after ending with a similar gross score at the end of 18 holes.

Barrow finally prevailed and won a trophy and a Panasonic 42-inch plasma television set, while Lyn walked away with a trophy and a similar prize for copping the net category. Michelle Gabay was second in the gross category with a combined score of 167.

Perhaps the most outstanding individual display on the final day, however, came from 16-year-old Junior player Zandre Roye who, like the seasoned pro winners, carded a magnificent 70 to secure the title in his division.

A student of Iona High and a product of the vibrant Sandals Golf Academy, Roye said he was inspired by the presence of hs father who was on the course watching.

“The course was challenging on some holes, but I had to pick up three shots from yesterday (Saturday),” the talented youngster told the Observer.

Another happy golfer was Dennis Atkinson who repeated his exploits of last year by wining the Men’s Super Senior contest by notching a 79 following his combative 72 shot the previous day, besting Hamar Dayes in the process.

A many-time national representative at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships for the past 25 years, Atkinson was purring with satisfaction yesterday after again topping his rivals.

The men’s Senior Division was won by Easton Willams ahead of Robert Chin and Wayne Chai Chung, while Sherisse Walker landed the Junior Girls event.