A relieved Colin Montgomerie ended 56 weeks without a European tour victory today - and with it eased a Ryder Cup headache.
Montgomerie emerged from the doldrums with a superb five-stroke victory in the Murphy's Irish Open at Fota Island in Cork.
Watched by a huge crowd that had the added excitement of home pair Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington mounting charges, the 38-year-old Scot completed a performance that contained all the hallmarks of his seven-year reign as Europe's number one.
Even when he double-bogeyed the 478-yard eighth -"No, no, no" he cried as his second shot veered left into the water - Montgomerie promptlybirdied the next two holes to give himself some breathing space again.
He collected the #161,618 first prize with a closing 66 and the cheque, though far from one of the biggest on offer on the circuit these days, wassufficient to take him from 13th in the Ryder Cup race to sixth.
Only the top 10 qualify automatically after 11 more counting events and, with Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik and Bernhard Langer among thosecurrently needing one of Sam Torrance's two wild cards, joint runner-up Clarke commented: "I am sure Sam will be even more pleased thanMonty."
-PA