Golf: Roe benefits from bounce

MARK ROE, who finished third, fourth and fifth in European Tour events earlier in the year, gained the biggest victory of his career when he shot a five-under-par final round of 65 to win the Lancome Trophy yesterday.

The 29-year-old Yorkshireman completed a four-round aggregate of 267, 13 under par, over the St Nom-la-Breteche course, near Paris, to beat Vicente Fernandez of Argentina by two shots, despite hitting two spectators on the last nine holes.

The Ryder Cup player, Steven Richardson, whose final round of 63 was the best of the tournament for the second year running, finished in joint third place with Jim Payne and Eduardo Romero, also from Argentina, one stroke further back.

Nick Faldo, the world No 1 seeking a fourth successive European tour victory, had to be content with joint 17th place on 276, but was happy with a three-under-par 67. Ian Woosnam, who shot a disastrous third round of 76, recorded a bogey-free 64.

Roe, now based in Dronfield, said: 'I won a couple of Sheffield and District Alliance meetings last year, but I agree this is the best win of my career.' He admitted he was lucky at the 14th, where he hooked his drive and the ball struck a woman spectator on the thigh before bouncing back on the fairway. 'I made my four at that hole, but if it had gone into the rough, it might have been a five or six.' His ball then hit a man on the 17th and again he made his par four.

Roe, who had six birdies, carded only one bogey, at the fifth, but as he said: 'I birdied the first three holes to give myself a flying start and never really looked back.'

LANCOME TROPHY (St Nom-la-Breteche) Leading final-round scores (GB and Irl unless stated): 267 M Roe 67 69 66 65. 269 V Fernandez (Arg) 66 70 69 64 270 S Richardson 68 68 71 63; E Romero (Arg) 66 67 69 68; J Payne 69 68 65 68. 271 J-M Olazabal (Sp) 65 69 68 69. 272 P Senior (Aus) 69 66 66 71. 273 T Johnstone (Zim) 67 67 69 70; B Lane 66 69 68 70. 274 I Woosnam 66 68 76 64; J Spence 72 67 68 67; C O'Connor jnr 70 67 68 69; P Mitchell 71 65 68 70. 275 B May (US) 68 70 70 67; F Nobilo (NZ) 69 70 67 69; H Clark 67 69 70 69. 276 N Faldo 70 74 65 67; G Brand jnr 69 66 72 69; W Riley (Aus) 68 71 67 70; J-M Carriles (Sp) 66 71 67 72. 277 C Montgomerie 73 69 69 66; B Langer (Ger) 70 68 72 67; M James 69 70 68 70.

European Order of Merit

Sport in Short, page 27