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Lickliter wins medalist honors at US PGA qualifier

US veteran Frank Lickliter fired a final-round one-under par 71 on Monday to capture medalist honors at the US PGA Tour qualifying tournament, a grueling six-day battle over 108 holes.

Lickliter finished on 29-under par 403 to defeat Australian Brett Rumford by four strokes with Chris Stroud third as 26 golfers -- eight from beyond the US borders -- booked themselves a place among the elite for next year's US PGA season.

South Korean Jin Park was fourth on 410 after a final-round 68, one stroke ahead of American Jason Allred and two better than US player Tag Ridings and Korean Yang Yong-Eun.

England's Kenneth Ferrie, who shared sixth at last year's US Open, shared 14th in the qualifying tournament to ensure his place on the US circuit. New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson also finished on 416.

Other non-US players making next year's US PGA field were Sweden's Richard Johnson and Paraguay's Carlos Franco sharing 19th on 417 and Australia's David Lutterus and Spain's Alejandro Canizares, level for 23rd on 418 in the last qualifying spots.

The top 25 and those level with the 25th score booked their spots on the US tour next year.

Lutterus hung onto a spot despite bogeys at the 16th and 18th holes while Canizares birdied the 13th and 14th and parred into the make it on the number.

Two Australians missed out by a single stroke. Greg Chalmers birdied the 17th but took a bogey at 18 to finish on 419 while David McKenzie birdied the 16th and 17th but settled for par at the 18th to stand among six in 27th place.

Argentina's Miguel Angel Carballo took a double bogey at the 16th and made bogeys on the 17th and 18th to miss out by a stroke as well.
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