Costantino Rocca put victory beyond the reach of Darren Clarke and Ronan Rafferty when he shot a career-best closing round of 62 to capture the Canon European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre yesterday.
Rocca's charge from five strokes behind overnight leader Nick Faldo to a one-stroke margin over Sweden's Robert Karlsson and Scott Henderson from Aberdeen, left the two Irishmen and the rest of his European Ryder Cup colleagues gasping at his audacity.
While Montgomerie grumbled "This is not acceptable golf in any circumstances", and Faldo described the seriously sub-standard greens as "a bit like my omelettes, soft underneath and crusty on top", Rocca responded to the encouragement of the many Italians in the gallery of 10,000 with an eagle and seven birdies in a magnificent display of stroke-play.
His longest putts were from 10 feet on the first two greens, as he began eagle-birdie, and he continued to pepper the pins and leave his putter the minimum of work.
"Sure the greens were poor," said the 40-year-old Italian, "but it was my week."
It looked like being Clarke's when, from the promising platform of 13under-par and a share of second place, he got out in 33 after early morning cloud and drizzle had caused a two-hour delay. The Ulsterman, who believes he can prevent Montgomerie winning the Volvo ranking for a record fifth time this season, had a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, and another at the ninth to surge to 16-under and one ahead of Rocca, who had already played 11 holes.
But Clarke badly blocked his drive at the 10th, where his ball finished in trees, and he hit one of them with his first recovery attempt. His next shot put him in a greenside bunker, and when he failed to hole from six feet, a double bogey six went on his card.
Although he holed from seven feet at the 13th to get back to 15-under, Rocca had by then stormed ahead, having got out in 30, and then added a birdie hat-trick from the 13th to reach 18-under.
He was unable to improve on that over the final three holes, but he had done just enough to lift the top prize of £133,330.
Clarke failed to make a birdie at either of the inward par fives, missed from six feet at the short 16th, and was unable to beat par at the drive-and-pitch 17th and 18th.
"That 10th was terrible, and not getting a single birdie in the last five holes was disgraceful," said Clarke.
Like Rafferty, he finished with 69 for a 15-under 269, and took a share of sixth place alongside Faldo (70) and China's Lian-Wei Zhang.
Rafferty had to wait until the ninth for his first birdie, then improved on par at the 10th and 14th to require a triple-birdie finish to pass the Italian. But he three-putted the 16th and missed the 17th green to drop shots, before a birdie three at the last gave him his best finish of the season.
Karlsson, who won last week in Munich, and Henderson, a graduate from last year's Qualifying School, got closest to catching Rocca. Both had birdie chances from 15 feet on the last green, but they slipped wide, and both had to settle for the considerable consolation of a share of second place, worth £69,475.
Another Swede, Patrik Sjoland, and Australian Peter Lonard were joint fourth. Clarke's award of £22,460 lifted him to second place in the Volvo Ranking, only £2,433 behind Montgomerie. With Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer close behind, the Scot looks set for a tough struggle to become European number one for the fifth successive year.
Padraig Harrington had his worst finish on the circuit since turning professional when he closed with 70 for a two-under-par total of 282 and 63rd place. His previous lowest in 55 European Tour events was 60th in the Volvo PGA Championship back in May. He won only £1,727 but goes off on a three-week break in 13th place in the ranking, and well-placed for a late-season assault on a precious top 15 position that will keep him among Europe's elite for 1998.
David Higgins had 71 for 280 to be 55th (£2,628) but is still struggling to keep his Tour card in 155th position.
(Brit unless stated, Ire in bold)
