Another week, another close-but-no-cigar finish for Greg Norman. Seven days after finishing joint third at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Norman was tied fifth in the Senior Open Championship at Royal Troon yesterday, four strokes behind Bruce Vaughan, of the United States, who beat John Cook, a compatriot, in a play-off. It was Norman's second appearance at the Senior Open, having come third in 2005.

Yet far from it being another tournament thrown away, Norman had done well to move into contention after an opening round of 75, four over par, had left him in 45th place. A 72 in blustery conditions on Friday was followed by a 67 on Saturday. When he birdied five of his first seven holes yesterday, the Australian's supporters could start to dream but a double-bogey on the 17th, after underclubbing his tee shot into a bunker, ended his slim hopes.

Bernhard Langer, playing with Norman, was also in with a chance, but having reached six under par for the tournament, Langer pulled his tee shot at the 17th and found a bunker at the 18th to run up two bogeys and finish fourth.

Eduardo Romero was one stroke ahead of Langer, but the Argentinian should have joined Cook and Vaughan in the play-off after reaching the final fairway at six under par. His second stroke was pushed right, which resulted in a bogey, coming to rest beside the table bearing the silver Claret Jug and it was the closest he came to the trophy.

For most of the day, the tournament was Cook's to lose and the leader after three rounds did his best on the back nine after four birdies on the way out. He dropped three strokes on the 11th and 12th and a further one at the last after his second shot, from the rough, fell well short. It allowed Vaughan, the leader for the first two rounds, to take the tournament to extra holes with a two-foot putt at the 18th.

Sixteen years ago, Cook had lost the Open at Muirfield when Nick Faldo played the final four holes impeccably. He was beaten again yesterday on the first extra hole when Vaughan played what he called “three of the best shots I've hit all week”.

A perfect drive was followed by a six-iron to within 20 feet and, although Cook's second stroke was closer, Vaughan's putt rolled in while Cook's slipped past the right-hand side. It completed an emotional week for the little-known Vaughan, 51, whose mother was killed in a car accident six weeks ago.

Mikael Lundberg, of Sweden, won the Russian Open in Moscow for the second time, with a final round of 68 giving him a two-stroke margin from José Manuel Lara, of Spain, whose round of 64 contained an element of luck after his ball ricocheted off a spectator and away from the trees towards where it was heading on the 15th.