Barry Lane, a player for whom the term journeyman might have been invented, yesterday won his fifth European tour event at his 499th attempt. Lane had a final round 66 for a 16-under par total of 272 to win the British Masters by three from Argentinians Eduardo Romero and Angel Cabrera.
Patrik Sjoland was one stroke further back and the overnight leader, Paul Broadhurst, and Darren Clarke were among those on 11-under, tied for fifth.
This week, through the green, Clarke has played very well but that happy conjunction of ball striking and putting has been absent.
"Today I hit it very close around the back nine and holed a few good putts, but the first two days probably cost me the tournament," he said In equalling the best round of the week, a 65, he came home five under in 31, and his tee shot at the short 18th almost won him a Jaguar S-Type, worth over €48,000.
The car was on offer for closest to the pin at that hole and Clarke, at 4ft 5in was 11 inches further away than Raymond Russell, who as the first man out, had to wait seven hours before he got the keys.
Clarke was easily the best of Ireland's four remaining players. Paul McGinley finished with a 70 for a 281 total, three shots better than Graeme McDowell, while Damien McGrane followed up Saturday's disastrous 80 with a 74 for a 296 finishing total.
Lane has had a part in the more unwanted records on Tour. It is 10 years, 57 days since he last won (the Balearic Open) and only three other players have suffered longer droughts.
He won €400,880 yesterday and, because he now qualifies for the NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio, in August will have the chance to go for the $1,200,000 (€1,010,894) first prize there.
The Englishman, who has two troublesome knees, only decided to compete this week on Thursday morning when a practice session gave him no pain.
One behind overnight, he eagled the long seventh after a drive and three-wood and a 30-foot chip-in. Then, on the 16th, he cut his drive into grass so deep he could hardly see the ball and said: "It was the worst lie I have ever had." He swung as hard as he could at it and to everyone's surprise the ball ended up on the green. When he then holed from 25 feet for the unlikeliest of birdies to go 15 under, it was time for the engraver to start his work.
Colin Montgomerie was three under for his last nine holes with 33, which gave him a respectable total of six-under 282, but appeared distinctly care-worn at the end of it all. Asked if things had got easier every day - a reference to his marriage problems - the Scot said: "Apart from today, yes. Today was difficult." Asked why, he said: "No comment on that," adding that it was not for technical golf reasons. It would seem obvious, though, that he had seen pictures in a Sunday tabloid of his estranged wife, Eimear, with another man.
Irish in bold, British unless stated , par 72
(x) denotes amateur
272 - B Lane 70 69 67 66 (400,880)
275 - A Cabrera (Arg) 70 68 70 67, E Romero (Arg) 67 68 71 69 (208,910 each)
276 - P Sjoland (Swe) 69 65 73 69 (120,266)
277 - A Hansen (Den) 69 71 72 65, D Clarke 70 73 69 65, N O'Hern (Aus) 69 68 72 68, P Broadhurst 69 70 66 72
278 - A Forsyth 70 70 69 69
279 - S Gallacher 69 68 74 68, K Ferrie 67 73 70 69
280 - P Casey 72 70 69 69, T Immelman (Rsa) 67 72 71 70
281 - P McGinley 70 72 70 69, R-J Derksen (Ned) 69 71 71 70
282 - M A Martin (Spa) 69 73 73 67, M Campbell (Nzl) 67 71 73 71, C Montgomerie 72 69 70 71, I Woosnam 70 70 70 72
283 - C Rodiles (Spa) 69 72 74 68, R Jacquelin (Fra) 68 75 71 69, I Poulter 73 71 68 71, D Howell 66 73 71 73
284 - G Evans 73 68 75 68, J-F Lucquin (Fra) 70 68 77 69, G McDowell 73 68 73 70, J Moseley (Aus) 68 72 72 72, M Maritz (Rsa) 69 72 68 75
285 - M Erlandsson (Swe) 71 72 74 68, H Stenson (Swe) 75 67 74 69, G Orr 71 72 72 70, T Levet (Fra) 70 70 73 72, Terry Price (Aus) 70 72 68 75
286 - S Lyle 70 71 78 67, Ti Jaidee (Thai) 73 71 74 68, S Struver (Ger) 72 70 75 69, Ee Canonica (Ita) 75 67 74 70, R Green (Aus) 72 70 73 71, B Davis 68 67 79 72, S Luna (Spa) 70 68 75 73, M Lafeber (Ned) 68 72 72 74
287 - S Kjeldsen (Den) 73 71 74 69, D Lynn 72 71 74 70, K Eriksson (Swe) 71 70 75 71, R Rashell (USA) 72 71 73 71, J-F Remesy (Fra) 70 73 73 71, A Wall 70 69 74 74, S Wakefield 70 72 71 74, L Westwood 71 65 75 76 288 - L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 72 72 75 69, C Monasterio (Arg) 69 73 75 71 289 - B Dredge 73 70 77 69, D Gilford 72 71 76 70, S Hansen (Den) 69 75 75 70, R Goosen (Rsa) 72 71 75 71, C Hanell (Swe) 71 72 75 71, S Dodd 71 72 74 72 290 - G Owen 72 72 79 67, S O'Hara 73 71 78 68, M Roe 71 71 76 72, H Bjornstad (Nor) 76 66 73 75 291 - P Marantz (Aus) 69 75 75 72, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 74 70 74 73, D Carter 71 72 74 74 292 - P Baker 72 72 75 73 293 - I Giner (Spa) 71 71 78 73 294 R Russell 71 73 81 69, J Lomas 70 72 78 74, D Gaunt (Aus) 72 71 75 76 295 - P Golding 73 71 78 73, (x) G Wolstenholme 72 72 76 75, M A Jimenez (Spa) 72 71 75 77 296 - D McGrane 71 71 80 74, M Nilsson (Swe) 72 72 78 74 301 - A Coltart 67 77 81 76
