It was just like The Belfry 1985, with Sam Torrance holding out his arms and weeping buckets, at the French National yesterday. But instead of sinking the putt which won the Ryder Cup, though, Sam was celebrating his first win on the European Tour for three years.

The Scot came back with a two-under-par 70 to finish on 12under-par to win by two shots, to add £83,330 to his earnings and to put him in great heart for this week's Irish Open.

The 44-year-old veteran did it in fine style, too, brushing off the chances of a five-way play-off - with four men waiting in the clubhouse like vultures - with a stunning shot at the 17th for the birdie that won him his 21st title.

On another see-saw day for the Scottish campaigner, his bogey on the 15th threw the tournament into a four-way tie at the top. Using all his experience, however, Torrance sent in a seven-wood second shot at 17 which even he called "a tracer bullet". His ball finished up tap-in length and Torrance was back in front.

His birdie on the last was a result of the pressure coming off. It left Bernhard Langer, Massimo Florioli, Matthew Goggin and Olivier Edmond, the latter three all very much outsiders, having to share second place.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell never got started. Having started with a share of the lead with Torrance, he plummeted to a 75 and his 11th place means he did not get into this week's big show at Druids Glen.

An eight-iron proved Jekyll and Hyde for two Irishmen. It was that model which caused Philip Walton a double-bogey on the short 16th to spoil his chance of setting the target for everyone to beat and damage his pay cheque. And with every penny vital for the current British Open Championship order of merit, which finishes in a fortnight after Loch Lomond, shooting 67 instead of 65 could in the end be costly.

His shot at 16 caught the downslope and his ball scuttled into heavy rough behind the green. He needed two pitches before missing a six-foot putt.

Walton did at least stay well up the Open table. After picking up £8,164 for 11th place on seven-under-par, he is second on the Open table of the players not already exempt, with two events to come.

A disappointed Walton said: "I was hoping to post 10-under-par and let them have a look at it. The rough was horrendous at times. On the seventh, I missed by only a couple of yards and had to take a penalty because I had no chance of making contact."

The Malahide player was, though, cheered by a good putting round which saw him hole two 20footers for two of four birdies, and an eight-footer for eagle to go to the turn five-under-par. After changing his stance and placing the ball further back, he seems to be wielding his broom-handle with authority again.

While the eight-iron was Hyde for Walton, it was Jekyll for Paul McGinley. He had a splendid finish, charging in his eight-iron over the lake to just two-and-a-half feet for eagle. He had already had three birdies with eight-iron shots to less than eight feet. It earned him a 67 as well, finishing 16th on six-under for a £6,285.

Said the Dubliner: "It was a pity I didn't play like that on the first day so I could build on it, but it was nice to finish like that the week before one of the biggest events of the year and it helped my British Open ranking on the table." McGinley is now in 10th place on the Open table of the non-exempt players.

Francis Howley was up for his biggest cheque for some time but bogeyed the last two holes for a 71 to whittle down his winnings to £3,050 for 42nd place on two-under-par.

Des Smyth's finish was much to do with his Saturday showing. He had moved to within two strokes of the lead in the third round, but plunged to a 77 with a terrible run from the turn. He had a 76 yesterday to finish 69th on six-over and earn just £745. Colin Montgomerie's two eagles, one to finish, for a 68 only brought him 23rd place, but it did get the Scot thinking about his chances of a hat-trick of Irish Open victories this week. "I'm feeling really upbeat and looking forward to defending my title in a great tournament at a great course," said Monty.

The last words went to his senior, Torrance, though. After wiping away his tears of jubilation, he joked: "Do we get Ryder Cup points this week?"

He knew just how he had brought himself to those tears. "When you haven't been up there for such a long time you still get warning bells when it gets as close as it did in the end. When we got round to 14, 15 and 16, though, I knew it was only mine to lose and I told myself I wasn't going to do that. A quarter of a century on tour certainly helps in those situations."