For a trio of Mexican businessmen - and their Spanish interloper, who just happened to be inform professional Miguel Angel Jimenez - the trip to participate in the Smurfit European Open at The K Club yesterday proved to be a rather rewarding one.

While much of the attention was focused on Renault boss Bill Cullen's quest to make it a three-in-a-row of team pro-am titles, the Latins went about their business with some aplomb. And a score of 88 points was sufficient to give them a one point win over a posse of three pursuing teams.

Jimenez played his part in leading this newly-acquired team of Juan La Valle, Smurfit's Vice-President for Public Relations in Latin America, businessman Roberto Muguia, who is one of the company's principal customers in that part of the world, and Eugenio Franca, president of the Mexican Golf Federation, to victory. The Spaniard rowed in with five birdies in his round: at the first, fourth, eighth, 11th and 16th holes.

"Miguel played tremendous golf," enthused La Valle, who was competing in his fifth European Open Pro-Am but experiencing victory for the first time. However, the three amateurs contributed hugely on the home run with Franca grabbing a birdie on the 11th to set the trend for an impressive back nine which brought in a team haul of 45 points.

As for Cullen? Well, the great run of wins in the event finally came to an end and, indeed, they languished in 28th place by the time the last of the 53 teams signed in.

88 - MA Jimenez (Spain) with J La Valle (16), E Franca (12), R Muguia (18).

87 - L Westwood (Eng) with L Harkin (7), J Bardon (18), C Brown (14); P Mitchell (Eng) with G Jenkins (6), M McGuirk (Scr), J Connolly (5); S Struver (Ger) with K Reid (13), E Rothwell (14), B Barrett (18).

85 - P O'Malley (Aus) with B Guzman (8), T Criado (18), S Rico (18); PU Johansson (Swe) with M Smurfit Jnr (17), A French (12), G Purcell (16).