Former winner Philip Walton lost no fewer than seven balls in the water as he crashed to a nightmare 89 at the French Open yesterday.

The 1990 champion, now 45, trailed off in last place after carding a 12, a seven and three sixes at Le Golf National.

The 12 at the 470-yard 18th, his ninth, saw him put a five-wood second and three pitches into the lake around the green.

It completed an inward 49 since he had also put two balls in the pond at the 13th and another on the 15th.

"That's just shocking - unreal," said the Irishman, match-winning hero of the 1995 Ryder Cup in America. "I even made a lot of putts for par. It could have been a 95.

"I think my caddie's gone to hang himself. I broke all records there - I've never lost that many balls and my previous highest was an 11 at The Belfry.

"That's one tough course out there."

Walton no longer holds a European Tour card, but qualifies this week as a past champion.