Lancome TrophyRetief Goosen completed his fourth success in France yesterday by taking the Lancome Trophy despite a ragged final round of 70.
The 34-year-old South African, who has topped the European money list for the past two years, finished 18 under par on 266 to win by four strokes from Ireland's Paul McGinley.
It was a repeat of his 2000 triumph in the event and follows two French Open wins in 1997 and 1999. This time victory netted him €300,000 and he moved up from 19th to 10th in the Order of Merit, but a third number one coup looks out of reach with his compatriot Ernie Els still more than a million pounds ahead.
He admitted: "It's probably between Ernie and Darren Clarke now because I'm missing the Dunhill Links event in Scotland; six-and a half-hour rounds in bad weather left me stiff last year and the format doesn't suit me."
His first European Tour victory of the year came, ultimately, courtesy of the opposition despite his opening rounds of 63, 65 and 68.
McGinley was magnanimous: "I was up against one of the best players at the top of their game and I finished four behind. He putted magnificently and deserved to win."
Goosen, though, was anything but his customary serene self. He said: "I never felt comfortable, especially with the driver, and was all over the course. Paul really played well with four birdies round the turn but it turned on the 16th in my favour when he took seven.
"I was fighting my swing and myself and found it difficult to focus, especially under the pressure of leading."
Goosen's three-stroke overnight lead at St Nom-La -Breteche was still intact at the turn but he was only one clear when McGinley, his confidence high after last week's Irish PGA Championship victory, bagged a brace of birdie threes at the 10th and 11th.
The South African must have feared a repeat of 2001 when he led by four with four to play but lost out to Sergio Garcia, the Spaniard finishing with a hat-trick of birdies.
Yesterday Goosen bounced straight back with birdies at the 12th and 13th but tangled with the trees for a second time to bogey the 14th.
But McGinley, who holed the winning putt in last year's Ryder Cup at The Belfry, dramatically wrecked his chances by straying into the woods right and left for that seven at the 16th.
"I needed to make a birdie on the 16th but my tee shot finished behind a tree and I made seven, and after that I was battling for second, which fortunately I got," said McGinley.
His 71 was just enough to earn the second prize of €200,000, one clear of the Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin (67) and Ian Poulter, a double winner this year, who birdied two of the last five holes for a 70.
McGinley goes top of the new Ryder Cup qualifying table but for Colin Montgomerie there was little joy. He abandoned his belly putter in favour of a normal-size Odyssey Two Ball model but still managed only a 72 to end 16 strokes behind in joint 44th place.
Damien McGrane finished in a tie for 10th place after a disappointing final round of one over par 72 left him on 275. The Headfort man bogeyed the first, 12th and 16th while picking up just one shot at the second to earn €33,860.
Padraig Harrington was a shot further back on 276 after a final round of 69 and a four round total of eight under par total 276. Harrington got to 10-under par after 11 holes but dropped shots on the run-in at the 13th and 17th for his 69.
Poulter's third place gives him an outside chance of forcing his way into England's World Cup team, but like Goosen he probably needs to win next week's Linde German Masters - the last counting event - to have a realistic chance.
