Golf: Richardson upstages Cup rivals

STEVE RICHARDSON put his disappointment at missing out on a Ryder Cup place behind him by upstaging a number of players chosen for The Belfry, from both sides of the Atlantic, in winning the German Masters in Stuttgart yesterday. The 27-year-old from Windsor finished with a final round of 68 to win by two strokes from Sweden's Robert Karlsson. The American Ryder Cup team member, Chip Beck, was third, one stroke further behind.

Richardson's pounds 100,000 for his third career title, came as consolation for failing to retain his place in the European team at The Belfry after being chosen to play at Kiawah Island in 1991. 'I was beginning to think everything was against me and I was getting a bit desperate,' Richardson said. 'There were times when I did not think I would get another win.'

Richardson had a 16-under- par aggregate of 271 after the course was cut by almost 300 yards and had its par reduced to 71 for the last round after heavy rain on Saturday. Tom Watson, the American Ryder Cup captain, finished joint seventh on 278.

Two shots behind was Scotland's Sandy Lyle, who used the unorthodox putting style of Bernhard Langer for the first time and shot the day's best round of 64, seven under par. He collected eight birdies in his total of 280. Tom Kite, another American Ryder Cup man, finished on 282.

Five of the European Ryder Cup team were in the field, including Langer, winner in 1989 and 1991, who finished joint fourth on 276, and Seve Ballesteros, joint 21st on 283.

GERMAN MASTERS (Stuttgart) Leading final scores (GB unless stated): 271 S Richardson 67 66 70 68. 273 R Karlsson (Swe) 68 69 70 66. 274 C Beck (US) 72 63 69 70. 276 J Parnevik (Swe) 70 72 68 66; B Langer (Ger) 73 64 70 69. 277 J-M Olazabal (Sp) 69 69 72 67. 278 T Watson (US) 74 67 69 68; D Frost (SA) 66 70 71 71. 279 F Nobilo (NZ) 68 71 71 69. 280 S Lyle 73 70 73 64; R Claydon 68 72 71 69; G Day (US) 69 71 70 70; E Els (SA) 67 73 69 71. 281 P-U Johansson (Swe) 70 71 73 67; C Rocca (It) 72 73 69 67; M Roe 68 74 71 68. 282 R Allenby (Aus) 71 74 69 68; A Oldcorn 70 74 70 68; P Price 71 73 69 69; T Kite (US) 71 67 73 71. 283 A Sherborne 70 68 76 69; S Ballesteros (Sp) 70 73 71 69; G Orr 71 72 69 71. Selected: 287 B Lane 73 71 72 71.