Big-time golfers have a date with destiny and, after being rebuked on so many occasions, David Duval's deliverance finally came at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

It was a weird kind of day, not least for the sense of incredulity from Ian Woosnam just seconds after walking from the first green of the final round, convinced he had started his quest with a birdie.

"You're going to go ballistic," said his caddie, Myles Byrne, as he told Woosie there were two drivers - and one club over the regulation 14 - in his bag. The birdie instantly became a bogey, and Woosnam's dream was gone.

Duval's dream, though, stayed alive right to the end. In the Masters, he had all but readied himself to wear the green jacket, only to falter coming down the straight. Now, there was no collapse. He executed 67 shots to perfection in the final round and ensured his name would be engraved for eternity on the claret jug right below that of his friend, Tiger Woods, who had preceded him as British Open champion.