Once the preserve of the game's gifted young guns, the Murphy's Irish Open was retored to the twenty-somethings in fairytale circumstances at Druids Glen yesterday. Their champion was the unlikely figure of David Carter, who survived serious stumbles before capturing the title in a play-off with the holder, Colin Montgomerie.

So, a record-equalling third successive title eluded the big Scot who has now lost all six play-offs in which he has been involved as a professional, including the US Open and USPGA Championship. And this one could hardly have been more decisive, insofar as he actually conceded before Carter had to putt from 22 feet in `sudden-death' on the fateful 18th.

This European breakthrough has come for Carter only 16 months after he was within a few hours of death through serious illness in Dubai. And in a different sense, there was a new lease on life for Ireland's John McHenry, who can now look to a future on tour after earning £53,996 Stg for a share of third place.

"I'm the first to say I've a lot to learn but I've proved to myself that I can play at this level," said the 34-year-old Corkman afterwards. The crowd loved him, just as they had loved Philip Walton at Royal Dublin in the Irish Open of 1983, when he, too, earned sufficient money to effectively secure his European Tour card.

But given McHenry's modest playing status going into the event - he had missed all four cuts on the current Canadian Tour - his achievement compared more accurately with Portmarnock in 1981. That was when Jimmy Heggarty claimed a share of third place with compatriots David Jones and Des Smyth, behind Sam Torrance.

One sensed, somehow, that Montgomerie would be there at the death, despite the way the leaderboard looked after the third round on Saturday. At that stage, Carter was joint leader with Barry Lane, who shot a 62 to equal Montgomerie's course-record of the final day last year.

McHenry entered the closing round a stroke behind the leaders, while the holder was in a share of fourth place with Peter Baker and the surprise American, Craig Hainline.

Temperatures had dropped and the wind was swirling menacingly when the leaders set off beneath overcast skies. First to falter was Lane, who simply didn't have the confidence in his game for decisive combat at this level. Not was there an indication of anyone emerging from the pack to set a worthwhile target.

Lee Westwood promised much in an outward 31 that contained six threes, but the sparkle was killed by a bogey at the notorious 13th, leading to a 69 and an undistinguished aggregate of 285. "I was too often in rough on the back nine," he said ruefully. Jose-Maria Olazabal, the 1990 champion, also claimed a supporting role with a birdie, eagle, birdie, par finish to a 68.

But there wasn't even a hot finish to lift the spirits of Ernie Els. From a position where he might have been expected to make a charge, the South African went decisively in the other direction, with a 78 for 290.

"I seem to be getting a bit irritated over the last few weeks, maybe because of the worry about my back injury," he said. Either way, he would appear to have much work to do in practice when he plays some Irish links courses this week as a build-up to the British Open at Royal Birkdale.

At the business end of the playing order, Carter claimed the lead on his own with a birdie at the short second. And by the long fifth, where a 40-foot eagle putt hit the pin, he had moved two strokes clear of the field. And by the time he had covered the outward journey in 32 to be nine-under-par for the tournament at that stage, his lead had grown to four strokes over McHenry and Hainline.

But there was much drama to come. A birdie at the long 11th brought Montgomerie within four strokes of Carter. Then the South African-born player had his first serious stumble. Almost predictably it came at the 13th where he found water and after being forced to take a penalty-drop in rough, ran up a double-bogey six.

Now the gap between himself and Montgomerie had been cut to two. And it remained that way after he birdied the 14th from four feet while the Scot made four at the long 16th.

Montgomerie was making exemplary progress along his final hole when the first signal appeared of a possible play-off. It came from Carter's play of the long 16th, where he drove into a bunker on the left and then blocked an ambitious, four-wood recovery into foot-deep hay on the right.

"My six there felt like a birdie," he said afterwards with some conviction. Full well it might! But his nerve held good on the short 17th, where a seven-iron tee-shot wasn't enough to reach the putting surface. A precise escape to two feet from the flag was as good a recovery as one could expect.

The overall problem for Carter, however, was the punishing nature of the finishing holes. Starting with the 13th, the only possible respite would have been the 16th which, as it happened, cost him a stroke. And as Andrew Oldcorn discovered when within sight of the title two years ago, the 18th presents a fearsome climax.

So it proved for the young man who was attired like a ski instructor. Down the 18th, he blocked his drive into trees on the right. From there, with his follow-through impeded, he felt a five-iron was sufficient to take him the necessary 175 yards uphill and over water to the green. He didn't quite make it.

Now Montgomerie seemed assured of victory insofar as Carter would have to pitch and putt for a bogey to tie. And the odds on the Scot shortened significantly when Carter's pitch finished 20 feet past the hole. But he read the left-to-right breaking putt to perfection, easing it down the slope with sufficient pace just to get it into the cup.

So to the play-off - on the same hole. This time, it was Montgomerie who made the error off the tee, pulling his drive into rough high on the left. And from there, he compounded the problem by misjudging a lay-up pitch which was low coming out of the long grass and, to his horror, ran on and into the water.

The pressure on Carter was now eased considerably and he responded by hitting a six-iron approach safely past the flag. Then, after Montgomerie had pitched to the front edge in four and failed to hole his chip, he walked up and admitted defeat in a manner reminiscent of the way Tony Johnstone conceded the British Masters title to Christy O'Connor Jnr at Woburn, six years ago.

After a sympathetic pause, the crowd cheered their new champion. Monty had done the tournament proud, but it was time to make way for younger blood.