Professional golfers don't tend to bleed too often - but, when they do, it can be a shocking sight. Down by the banks of the River Liffey yesterday, as the Smurfit European Open reached a most remarkable climax, the haemorrhage was such that Michael Campbell very nearly needed to be swathed in bandages rather than his canary-yellow top by the time he reached the sanctuary of the 18th green.

From five shots ahead with four holes to play, Campbell - with a lucky Maori gemstone draped around his neck to fend off evil spirits, and wearing a green baseball cap and green pants for added luck - had to endure a hellish ride over the finishing stretch that brought him further and further into darkness.

It was only when he tapped in a short putt on the last for his fourth successive bogey that he could breath safely again. His winning total of six-under-par 282 gave him a one-stroke victory over a quartet of players which included Padraig Harrington.

"Five clear with four to play? I was in cruise mode," said Campbell, "but I got too far ahead of myself. I started thinking of my speech, the sort of thing you're not supposed to do, and I suffered the consequences."

In the end, though, he held on to take his fifth European Tour win, and the 13th professional victory worldwide, and a cheque of €515,584.

After his wobbly-kneed finish, Campbell was only too glad to find some reason to discover why he puts himself through such pressure week after week. There to greet him as he walked off the final green were his wife, Julie, and children Thomas (4) and Jordan (2).

The New Zealander's run of bogey-bogey-bogey-bogey from the 15th was quite incredible, and attested to Harrington's observation that this particular stretch is not for the faint-hearted.

"This has got to be the best golf course in the world to be behind going down the stretch," insisted Harrington, "and it has got to be the worst golf course in the world to be ahead going down the stretch."

For Harrington, though, the heartache was all the harder to take because, playing alongside Campbell, he was the one in the best position to take advantage of the Kiwi's disintegration.

"I'm gutted," admitted the Dubliner. "Michael just got so much ahead he saw the winning post and started to bleed. To be honest, it was a chance for anybody else to win the tournament . . . and certainly a good chance for me to win. I'm just gutted."

Harrington, recording his 16th runners-up position of his career on the European Tour, and taking his fifth top-10 finish of this season, was thoroughly dejected.

Of the four men who finished in second place, he was the one in prime position to pounce; and he didn't.

Indeed, Retief Goosen had already departed for the airport, so remote did he see his chances of making a play-off when he finished, although he did make an attempt to turn around, while Bradley Dredge and Paul Lawrie - the other players to finish a shot adrift - could barely comprehend the drama that unfolded.

Campbell leaked one shot after another over that finishing stretch of holes, and Harrington, playing the role of aggressor, was punished for, if anything, being too aggressive. On two occasions over the final three holes he finished in the water: firstly, in the Liffey at the 16th, where his five-wood approach fell an agonising two feet short of safety; and, then, on the last, where he went down the shaft on a six-iron and pulled it into the lake on the left of the green.

Each time, he gamely salvaged pars, but each time it was a case of the one that got away, rather than the one he caught.

Just as he would like it, Harrington won't have much time to reflect on what might have been. He is in Mount Juliet for a corporate day today, and tomorrow will play Greg Norman at the official opening of the new links at Doonbeg before flying by helicopter up to revisit the K Club for his fundraiser for the Special Olympic Games.

"This (setback) won't affect me at all," he insisted. "I'll be working again tomorrow. Once I get on the golf course again it will be gone. It won't worry me at all."

While Harrington, who moved up to seventh in the European Tour Order of Merit with his tied-second place finish, sought to get back to the golf course to aid his recuperation process, there were words of encouragement from Campbell. The two are particularly close on the professional circuit - they even have a personal round-by-round bet over the tournament season - and Campbell said he "felt" for Harrington over the closing holes.

"Look, Padraig has one of the best short games in the world . . . and, one day, he is going to do wonderful things. He is a fantastic player," insisted Campbell of the Irishman, who finished the week as the leading home player with his closing 73 for 283, which earned him €205,805. Darren Clarke had a closing 67 for 287 (tied-20th) for €34,073, while Eamonn Darcy and Gary Murphy finished tied-30th, winning €24,163 each.

For Darcy, it was the end of his official European Tour career before he moves into the potentially lucrative Seniors Tour. Darcy, who celebrates his 50th birthday on August 7th, has played in 610 European Tour events - and over 700 in all as a professional, taking in other worldwide tournaments and domestic championships - and has hit over 50,000 shots in that time.

282 (6 under)

Michael Campbell (Nzl) 68 71 70 73

283 (5 under)

Bradley Dredge 71 71 73 68

Retief Goosen (Rsa) 71 72 72 68

Paul Lawrie (Scot)70 71 69 73

Padraig Harrington 72 69 69 73

284 (4 under)

Angel Cabrera (Arg) 72 71 71 70

Niclas Fasth (Swe) 69 77 68 70

Colin Montgomerie (Scot)69 75 68 72

Order of Merit: Top 10

1 Retief Goosen (Rsa) €882,160

2 Colin Montgomerie (Sco) €685,479

3 Ernie Els (Rsa) €615,749

4 Michael Campbell (Nzl) €615,562

5 Sergio Garcia (Spa) €607,918

6 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) €561,625

7 Padraig Harrington (Ire) €559,853

8 Anders Hansen (Den) €519,731

9 Justin Rose (Eng) €453,480

10 Angel Cabrera (Arg) €437,376