French Open: Padraig Harrington recorded his 22nd second-place finish on the European Tour yesterday as England's John Bickerton collected the biggest paycheque of his career with victory in the centenary edition of the French Open

Bickerton (36), who now lives in Germany, banked €666,660 after holding off the challenge of Harrington and 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell at Le Golf National.

From 29th in the European points list for the Ryder Cup team - courtesy of his second place at the Andalucia Open in April - Bickerton leapt to 10th to put himself into real contention for a place at The K Club in September.

He also qualified for this month's British Open at Hoylake.

He was only prevented from climbing higher by Harrington's finish, and on the current standings would be in Ian Woosnam's team.

"It is impossible to sum up at the moment. It has been madness. I need to take my time and reflect on it later with a couple of large beers," said Bickerton, whose only other European Tour victory came at the Canarias Open last October.

"This is definitely the best week of my career."

Bickerton, who led the first two days but trailed playing partner Campbell by one at the start of play, survived a late wobble. He birdied the par-five third to draw level at 10 under with Campbell, and when the New Zealander bogeyed the seventh he was ahead.

Both birdied the 11th, but when Bickerton chipped to two feet at the next he was two ahead. That became three when he got up and down for birdie at the 585-yard 14th.

However, he dropped two shots at the next when he put his approach in the water, although Campbell bogeyed to drop to nine under.

The New Zealander birdied the par-three 16th after hitting his tee-shot to 15 inches to reduce the deficit to one, before Bickerton played the shot of the tournament after missing the 17th green, chipping to seven feet to save par.

At the last, Campbell dumped his approach in the lake to make a double-bogey six so, with Harrington safely in the clubhouse at 10 under, all Bickerton had to do was make par and he did.

"I felt some relief when Michael hit it into the water and then I actually hit an extra club (a five-iron) just to make sure.

"You would walk off there with par any time and be happy, and a two-and-a-half-footer at the last was a test - the legs and hands were shaking."

All week Harrington has been insisting the course did not suit him, but despite that he shot a final-round 66 - the joint lowest of the day - to finish just one behind Bickerton.

It was his 22nd runners-up spot of his European Tour career and, oddly, his second of the week after flying in from America after the rain-delayed Booz Allen Classic did not finish until Tuesday.

"Two seconds in one week - that is a bit unusual. But I recovered really well because I came in with jet lag," said the Dubliner, who earned €444,440 to move to fifth on the European points list for Ryder Cup qualification and grab sixth spot on the team as it stands now.

"This is a very difficult golf course for me and I'm quite happy I've done as well as I've done on it.

"In fairness, I couldn't have asked to win the tournament. John had a putt to win and if it did come to a play-off it would have been his to lose, so I can't complain. I probably won my own tournament this week. Sometimes you have to be in the hunt before you can win.

"It was a good week. It is nice to contend somewhat at the end of the week."

Next best of the Irish were Peter Lawrie (71) and Gary Murphy (75), who finished on one over to collect €23,000 each.

Paul McGinley had five pars, five birdies, seven bogeys and a quadruple bogey seven (at the second) in his closing 77.