WALES OPEN:RYDER CUP player Ross Fisher left Celtic Manor in angry mood yesterday after being given a one-shot penalty and a €7,400 fine for slow play when only one off the lead at the ISPS Handa Wales Open. "I don't think it's justice, but there you go," said Fisher, who after being told about the punishment with four holes to play fell away to joint sixth place.

Thailand’s 42-year-old Thongchai Jaidee was the tournament winner, a bogey six at the last leaving him one in front of Dane Thomas Bjorn, South African Richard Sterne, Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Dutchman Joost Luiten.

But it was what happened to Fisher, who finished only two shots behind, back at the course where he helped Europe to victory two years ago which became the day’s main talking point.

Although it is only 10 months since the European Tour last handed out a stroke penalty, it is thought to be decades since someone in the final group on the final day had action taken against them for slow play.

Tour chief referee John Paramor was the man who stepped in after giving Fisher, Jaidee and Luiten a warning as early as the sixth hole that they needed to speed up. Then came Fisher’s second shot to the par-five 11th. As the second of the group to play he was allowed 40 seconds plus a few more because of the bad weather, but took 57 seconds.

“It was a clear bad time,” said Paramor. “Then on the 14th green he took 55 seconds over his first putt. “I told him before he teed off at the 15th – and I don’t think he was particularly happy.”

Fisher, two behind, failed to birdie the driveable par four, bogeyed the short 17th and finished with a two-over-par 73.

For former paratrooper Jaidee it was a fifth victory on the circuit, but his first outside Asia.

The world number 199 led by one overnight, but fell one behind after running up a double-bogey seven at the ninth. At that point he had not had a single birdie, but he started for home with three in a row and was in control once he added an 18-foot birdie for another on the 15th. That gave Jaidee the luxury of being able to bogey the 16th and long 18th and still take the €372,000 first prize with a one-over-par 72 and six-under tally.

For Bjorn and Fernandez-Castano, rounds of 68 and 67 were a great boost to their hopes of making this year’s Ryder Cup, but the round of the day was a 65 from Paul McGinley. The Dubliner, one of Colin Montgomerie’s vice-captains two years ago, did not drop a stroke and won €72,680. Peter Lawrie was a shot further back in a tie for eighth and continued his impressive recent form with a closing 67 for a prize of €50,243. Damien McGrane finished in joint-28th place following a closing 75. Simon Thornton shot a closing 69 for a tally of 288, four over.

278 – Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 71, 68, 67, 72

279 – Joost Luiten (Ned) 74, 69, 64, 72, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71, 72, 68, 68, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 69, 74, 69, 67, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 73, 69, 69, 68

280 – Ross Fisher 70, 66, 71, 73, Paul McGinley 72, 73, 70, 65