Runaway win for Gronberg

Mathias Gronberg had things so much in hand at The K Club yesterday that he could enjoy a spot of lunch in mid-round. Nothing pre-planned mind, just a little dish of salmon, veg and potatoes in the 36 minutes break forced upon final round competitors by the heavy rain and the threat of lightning in the Smurfit European Open.

"I was a little disorganised in the morning and missed breakfast, so it was great to eat," explained Gronberg, who followed his compatriot Per-Ulrik Johansson as winner of the title. Was brunching in such circumstances an indication of his inner calm? "No, I was just hungry. I knew I needed to eat," he replied.

Such sensible reasoning was also much in evidence on the golf course where the Swede appeared to be playing a different course to everyone else. Just five players managed to finish in red figures, but Gronberg's final round of 69 for 13-under-par 275 left him ten shots clear of his nearest pursuers Miguel Angel Jimenez, of Spain, and Welshman Phillip Price. Darren Clarke ended an emotional week as leading Irishman in fourth place, finishing with a final round 73 for two under par 286.

Gronberg collected the top prize of £208,300 - "I promised my fiancee Tara that we'd buy a jeep if I had a few good weeks on the circuit, but I've had such a good week here that I would have enough for four of them if I so wanted," he said - which moved him into eighth place in the European Tour moneylist.

The win also earned Gronberg a five-year exemption on the European Tour, something which pleased him immensely given the rising standards. "I was thinking of going to America," said Gronberg, who has an American girlfriend and an American caddie, "but I don't know if I should go over now."

He added: "The five year exemption means a lot to me. It happened in my only previous win (the European Masters in 1995) and it means I'm sure of my card until 2003. The depth on the tour is just getting better and better. For instance, I know that there are something like 20 Swedish players on the circuit who, if they have their week, could win a tournament. There are so many good young players."

Gronberg's runaway win was quite in contrast to his placing in the Volvo ranking, which had him placed in 54th position heading into the European Open. "I can explain that," he said. "I was a better player than my Order of Merit position. I've always been quite solid, but perhaps had a problem with my temperament. I tended to be aggressive and to get down on myself."

He was all smiles yesterday. Missed breakfast or not, Gronberg showed a healthy appetite for the course and felt "really, really confident" when sinking a 45 footer for birdie on the sixth. "I tried not to think of the presentation ceremony, just to concentrate on each shot," he revealed. And the break in play, which came when he was on the 11th, didn't upset his rythmn in the slightest.

Meanwhile, Clarke's fourth place finish enabled him to close the gap on his friend Lee Westwood in their duel for the Order of Merit title. Westwood went home without a cheque after retiring with a hip injury on the sixth hole in yesterday's final round. Clarke's payday of £62,500 means he is £55,662 behind Westwood heading into this week's BMW International in Munich.