Davis in double assualt

Brian Davis is considering playing on both the USPGA and European Tours after his maiden victory at the Spanish Open in Girona.

The 25-year-old from Enfield already splits his time between Britain and his American base in Orlando, where he works with the coach Tony Ziegler. He remains keen to try his luck on both sides of the Atlantic after narrowly missing out on a US Tour card last year.

Davis - who carded a last-round 69 at PGA Golf de Catalunya to defeat the Austrian Markus Brier by three shots and leave the likes of Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia trailing - won first qualifying for a US Tour card by eight shots but failed by just two strokes at the next stage.

"It was disappointing but it wasn't my time," he said. "My coach caddied for me and he said it's all a learning curve; you just have to give it time and be patient.

"I know it seems hard, but I've done the journey so much between here and the States that I'm accustomed to it now and I would like to play both tours."

Davis had never led a tournament going into the final round before yesterday when he enjoyed a one-stroke lead over the rest of the field. But he clearly learnt a lot from his experience of playing with Tiger Woods in the last group at the Deutsche Bank event in Germany last year.

"It made me realise how far behind I was," Davis added. "I really had to start dedicating myself a lot more and working a lot harder. Tiger has set the pace and he's ahead by a long way at the moment. For me personally to get to this stage is great, but I just need to stay focused like I have been and keep working hard."

For now Davis has plans for the £100,000 winner's cheque that lifted him to seventh on the Order of Merit. "Get my mum and dad, Robert and Linda, to retire. That's the first priority," he said. "I'm an only child, and they've worked hard all their life to support me. So obviously I'm going to take care of them."

Davis will aim to carry on where he left off in the French Open this week in Paris but he will have to overcome the under-par greens as well as the rest of the field, the greens at Le Golf National having been hit by a disease in the grass.

That will be precisely the last thing Montgomerie will want to hear after his woes on the greens in Spain, the European No 1 switching putters and his putting stroke in an effort to find an elusive touch on the greens.

Despite his problems, Montgomerie still finished fifth in Girona and will among the favourites when the Paris event begins tomorrow.