GOLF DIGEST: THE COLONIAL Invitational was heading for a tight finish with South African Tim Clark and American Steve Marino tied for the lead midway through yesterday's final round.

In pursuit of their first victories on the PGA Tour, Clark and Marino were deadlocked at 17 under par after nine holes, two shots ahead of American Steve Stricker and Australian Jason Day.

British world number three Paul Casey, the highest-ranked player in a strong field at Colonial Country Club, was a further stroke back at 14 under with eight holes to play.

Clark, two ahead of the chasing pack overnight, briefly forged three ahead before slipping back with bogeys at the third and fifth.

Stricker also grabbed the outright lead with back-to-back birdies from the fifth but he dropped shots at the seventh and eighth, where he three-putted from long range.

The big-hitting Marino, who fired a best-of-the-week 62 on Saturday, made his move with birdies on five and six to edge one ahead.

But Clark regained a share of the lead by sinking a five-foot birdie putt at the seventh and parred the next two holes to reach the turn level with Marino.

* Frenchman Franaois Calmels followed the example set by his girlfriend, newly crowned women’s European Tour Champion Jade Schaeffer, to clinch his own maiden European Challenge Tour victory by two strokes in the Telenet Trophy at at Royal Waterloo yesterday.

The Parisian birdied the final two holes for a round of 70 having been locked in a tie at the top of the leaderboard for much of the final round, first with playing partner and joint over night leader Stuart Manley, then with Carlos Rodiles and Sam Walker when the Welshman slipped away.

Rodiles had set the clubhouse target of 10 under par after a course record 65 on La Marache Course, near Brussels, and his 278 total was matched by Englishman Walker who posted a 66.

Calmels birdied the 15th to seize the outright lead but surrendered it with a bogey on the 16th before a superb bunker shot on the 17th swung the advantage his way once again.

He then stiffed another bunker shot to within three feet for birdie on the last to finish on 12 under par 276 and seal the €24,000 first prize to move to fourth on the Challenge Tour Rankings.

Rodiles and Walker finished tied for second place, while Ireland’s Simon Thorton and Chile’s Mark Tullo shared fourth place.