Golf: Bjorn Back in the Winning Habit Once Again

On a day of marvellous golf featuring 20 holes, six different final-round leaders and more hairpin turns than a mountain stage of the Tour de France, someone had to win the British Masters and in the end Thomas Bjorn was the last man standing. A tap-in for par on the second extra hole gave the Dane victory over David Howell - his first win on the European tour for almost three years - and the £283,000 winner's cheque.

More importantly, the victory marks Bjorn's redemption from what a third-rate French novelist might describe as a long, dark night of the soul.

Earlier this week the Dane had spoken of his efforts to overcome the "demons" that had led to him walking off the course after only six holes of last year's European Open in Ireland - a struggle in which he has prevailed, as five top-10 finishes this year attest. "All I need now is a win," he added, plaintively. Say no more.

Of course, the demons are never fully expunged from the mind of the modern professional - especially the more thoughtful ones, of which Bjorn is exhibit No1 - but on the evidence of his play yesterday his demons have even less of a chance of making a successful comeback than the Rolling Stones should Keith Richards ever decide to checkinto a retirement home.

Four shots behind Michael Campbell at the start of play, Bjorn halved that deficit by the turn courtesy of three birdies and one bogey. A birdie at the 10th took him to five under par, although by then others had begun to make their move.

Campbell, the second-round leader Brian Davis, Steve Webster, David Howell and, most unlikely of all, Darren Clarke all led or shared the lead at some stage during the final nine holes.

Clarke found himself there courtesy of an outward nine of 30, which featured an albatross two on the par-five 3rd, where he sank a five-iron from 215 yards. "I've had a couple before. Don't ask me where," the Irishman said afterwards, his disconsolate tone due to the fact that he squandered the chance of a very unlikely win - he started the day eight shots behind the leader - with an over-hit approach shot on the 16th that cost him a bogey.

Bjorn did not make his first appearance on top of the leaderboard until his 71st hole, the par-five 17th where he hit a five-iron out of the rough to 15 feet. He then rolled in an eagle. That took him to six under, leapfrogging him over the others.

Standing on the last tee, Bjorn thought a par three would win the tournament, although Howell and Davis, both playing the 17th, had other ideas, the former chipping in for eagle and the latter rolling in a putt for birdie.

Campbell, meanwhile, after enduring a triple bogey on the 13th, birdied the same hole to drag himself back into contention. At this stage it was like watching an Agatha Christie whowonit rather than a golf tournament. All that was missing was Hercule Poirot disguised as an obscure Belgian touring professional.

When the time came for the curtain to fall, Bjorn, Davis and Howell were level on six under, although Howell had cause to rue a weak shot to the final green that led to a bogey when a par would have won.

The play-off was strangely subdued but satisfyingly just. Put simply, Bjorn played far better than the other two. Davis dropped out after the first extra hole when failing to get up and down from off the green. On the second extra hole, Howell hit his tee shot into the bunker and failed to make par, leaving Bjorn with a simple putt for the win.

The Dane was very emotional afterwards, and understandably so. Despite a career spanning over a decade, and encompassing nine wins around the world, as well as two Ryder Cup appearances, he is probably best remembered as the man who blew the 2003 Open Championship when he double-bogeyed the 16th hole in the final round - a mistake that handed the title to Ben Curtis.

"It's been a long road and I have learned a lot about myself. I learned that if I stick with it, I am good enough," he said yesterday. "I'm especially pleased that I've won on British soil because some of my biggest letdowns have been on British soil and so it's nice to do something right."

Bjorn attributed his victory, and his return to form, to the decision he made with his family to eschew the trend that has leading European players basing themselves in the United States. "We as players are part of the tour and our biggest obligation is to keep the tour going. I know that every week someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. I think you have to realise that the tour is bigger than the players; take the good things that happen to you, and the bad. The point is we, as players, have a very, very good life."