By Bernie
McGuire in Paris
Monday July 02 2007
McGrane's
blistering best-of-the-day last round 65 catapulted him to to 44th place on the
Order of Merit as he ended just two strokes behind England's Graeme Storm who
claimed victory on the testing National Club track with a sizzling 66.
Storm won by a
shot on seven-under par from Denmark's Soren Hansen who missed a lengthy birdie
putt on the last to force a play-off.
McGrane shared
third place on five-under par with Scotland's Colin Montgomerie (70), Denmark's
Thomas Bjorn (69) and England's Simon Khan (72).
But it was Storm
who finally lived up to his name, in storming from five shots back at the start
of the final round to win his maiden Tour title in his 136th start. "I'm
gob-smacked at the way I played," said Storm. "I saw Damien McGrane's
score and I had to believe I could shoot a similar round and I managed to do
that."
Storm has jumped
to ninth on the Money List with earnings this year of 927,932 that is a far
cry from the winter of 2002 when he took a job cleaning baking trays in a
Hartlepool cake factory after losing his card.
McGrane's
previous best finish was third in last August's Dutch Open where he earned the
then largest prize cheque of his career, 100,160.
Red hot
He completed his
round nearly two hours ahead of Storm and attributed his clubhouse lead to a
'red hot' putter in holing birdie putts at the first, sixth, seventh ninth,
10th and 15th holes where he holed a superb 40-footer.
"I hit a lot
of good shots today and my putter was red hot," he said.
"I started
off with a beautiful birdie at the first and that set up my round. I played the
tough holes well and picked off as many birdies as I could on the easier holes.
"I was aware
I was near the lead and I was getting those vibes and once I made a few birdies
coming in I knew I had a chance.
"It's easy
enough when you are putting well and that kept my score alive. I wouldn't say
it's the best ever round I've played but that might change when I look back in
a year's time., McGrane has jumped 48 places to 44th on the Money List with
earnings this year of341,553 and is easily assured of retaining his card for
the 2008 season.
Paul McGinley
picked up a cheque for 37,400 after a disappointing 75, that included a double
bogey and three bogeys, for a share of 25th place on four over par.
Peter Lawrie also
slipped down the board to end in a tie for 42nd with a last round 78 for a six
over par total.
One over for his
round at the turn, Lawrie conceded six shots to par between the 10th and 15th
to limp home in 41 strokes. He won 21,600.
Nick Dougherty,
who came through qualifying to finish seventh in last month's US Open, flew
from Paris to London last night to continue his pursuit of a place in the Open
Championship.
The 25-year-old
from Liverpool would have avoided today's Open qualifier at Sunningdale by
finishing third in the French Open. But a closing 73 was never going to be
enough after he started the last round in joint 30th place. He was 25th.
Exempt
The two Open
exempt places up for grabs from a mini-Order of Merit went instead to winner
Storm and Welshman Bradley Dredge, who came joint 10th.
Succeed or fail
at Sunningdale, Dougherty has decided to pull out of this week's Smurfit
European Open at the K Club near Dublin so he can rest.
Centre of
attention at the Open qualifier was to have been Jean Van de Velde, the man who
lost from three ahead with one to play at Carnoustie in 1999.
But the Frenchman
is battling with illness and has withdrawn. He sees a specialist again in
London tomorrow and although the Loch Lomond is still open to him manager Jamie
Cunningham said: "There is a scenario where he has to take two or three
months away from the game.
Ian Woosnam,
struggling all year with post-viral fatigue syndrome, is in the Sunningdale
field along with fellow Ryder Cup trio Phillip Price, Miguel Angel Jimenez and
Peter Baker.
Ireland's Gary
Murphy and Graeme Mcdowell, who both missed the cut in France, are also in the
qualifying draw.
- Bernie McGuire
in Paris