Harrington's winning start to 'Europe's' new season

Padraig Harrington began the new European Tour season with an exciting one-shot victory at the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan. The Irishman shot a last-round 69 for a 15-under-par total of 273, one better than India's Jyoti Randhawa, for his sixth tour title. The win sends him straight to the top of the 2003 Order of Merit after what was officially the first counting event.

But 31-year-old, who began the final day a shot behind Maarten Lafeber, had to overcome late jitters to seal his second win of the year. Harrington contrived to almost throw away all his hard work, starting with a bogey on the 16th after he found water off the tee. Randhawa made an extraordinary recovery as he started the day seven shots off the pace but fired an eight-under-par 64.

Kaname Yokoo held off a late charge from Sergio Garcia yesterday to win the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Miyazaki, Japan. The Spaniard birdied four of the final six holes, but Yokoo had built such a big lead by then that it was too little, too late. The Japanese player could even afford a bogey at the last, finally tapping in from six inches for a closing two-under-par 69 and the biggest victory of his career.

Yokoo finished at 15-under 269, Garcia shot 66 for 270, while the South Korean K J Choi (64) carded the day's best round to climb into third place on 271. Darren Clarke's expected final round challenge never got off the launch pad. After starting the day a stroke off the lead, the Ulsterman faded with a 71 to tie for fourth with Justin Rose (67) on 272. Tiger Woods (67) was never seriously in contention and finished eighth.

Rose was pleased with his performance, but even happier that an apparent pulled muscle in his upper back and neck didn't bother him. "It didn't affect me today," said the 22-year-old, who suffered the injury on the range before the third round. "I'm still sore but swinging uninhibited, which is good. I played really well."