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LOCH LOMOND, July 11: Frenchman Thomas Levet fired a closing round 63 to come from seven strokes behind to win the Scottish Open by a shot on Sunday.
Levet, the third French winner in the last four European Tour events, finished on 15-under-par 269 to pip New Zealand's Michael Campbell.
Levet's eight-under round, one off the course record, also sealed a British Open spot next week at Royal Troon. An exhilarating back nine, which he covered in six-under-par 29 by running in an eagle and four birdies, helped Levet better the European Tour catch-up record for the season by a stroke as he went past struggling overnight joint leaders Marcus Fraser of Australia and Frenchman Gregory Havret.
Campbell, who had also shot 63 in the third round, missed a 12ft birdie putt on the last hole which would have earned a playoff. World number two Ernie Els, who beat Levet in a sudden-death shootout for the 2002 British Open title, made a brave defence of his Loch Lomond crown. The South African, who closed with a 68, finished tied third with Briton David Howell, two strokes behind the winner.
Leading final round scores (Britain unless stated):
269 - Thomas Levet (France) 70, 67, 69, 63.
270 - Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 70, 67, 63, 70.
271 - Ernie Els (South Africa) 70, 68, 65, 68; David Howell (Britain) 70, 64, 67, 70.
272 - Tim Clark (South Africa) 68, 71, 68, 65; Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 70, 69, 66, 67; Marcus Fraser (Australia) 67, 68, 64, 73; Peter Lonard (Australia) 69, 67, 66, 70; Martin Maritz (South Africa) 75, 63, 69, 65.
273 - Gregory Havret (France) 69, 64, 66, 74; Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 71, 70, 67, 65; Ian Poulter (Britain) 67, 67, 69, 70; Lee Westwood (Britain) 71, 67, 70, 65.
274 - Tom Lehman (US) 67, 68, 68, 71; Eduardo Romero (Argentina) 65, 72, 69, 68.
275 - Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 68, 67, 68, 72; Roger Chapman (Britain) 69, 66, 68, 72; Kenneth Ferrie (Britain) 67, 68, 72, 68.
276 - Barry Lane (Britain) 72, 69, 69, 66; Phillip Price (Britain) 65, 69, 71, 71.
277 - Wade Ormsby (Australia) 71, 66, 73, 67; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 68, 71, 69, 69.
278 - Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 68, 69, 72, 69; Steven O'Hara (Britain) 73, 69, 66, 70; Tim Petrovic (US) 71, 66, 72, 69; Stephen Scahill (Britain) 70, 70, 67, 71.
279 - Christian Cevaer (France) 67, 68, 71, 73; Brian Davis (Britain) 71, 68, 71, 69; David Lynn (Britain) 72, 69, 68, 70; Graeme McDowell (Britain) 72, 65, 70, 72; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 71, 70, 69, 69; Mark Roe (Britain) 67, 70, 75, 67; Anthony Wall (Britain) 69, 71, 68, 71.
280 - Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 74, 64, 67, 75; Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 68, 68, 75, 69; Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Japan) 70, 65, 73, 72; Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 74, 68, 67, 71; Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 69, 68, 76, 67.
281 - Robert Coles (Britain) 69, 73, 68, 71; Andrew Coltart (Britain) 70, 68, 70, 73; Joakim Haeggman (Sweden) 74, 66, 68, 73; James Kingston (South Africa) 69, 70, 69, 73; Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 69, 69, 72, 71; Ben Mason (Britain) 71, 71, 69, 70; Terry Price (Australia) 68, 74, 71, 68; Rob Rashell (US) 70, 72, 69, 70.
TWO-SHOT LEAD
SILVIS: Argentina's Jose Coceres shot a second successive three-under-par 68 to open a two-stroke lead after the third-round of the $3.8 million John Deere Classic on Saturday.
Coceres stands on 15-under-par 198, ahead of Australia's Greg Chalmers, who retained second place with a two-under-par 69 on the TPC at Deere Run layout. Streve Stricker's 64 was the day's low round and it vaulted him into a seven-way tie for third at 11-under 202.
Stricker joined a group containing Jay Haas (67), Robert Gamez (67), Joe Durant (67), Australian Mark Hensby (69), Stewart Cink (67) and rookie Vaughan Taylor (70). Coceres, a two-time PGA Tour winner, played the final seven holes of his second round on Saturday morning after fading light suspended play late on Friday.
He played the remaining holes of his second round in one-under-par, making birdie at the par-four 17th. In the afternoon, the Argentine recorded four birdies and a bogey in his third round.
Leading third round scores:
198 - Jose Coceres (Argentina) 62, 68, 68.
200 - Greg Chalmers (Australia) 64, 67, 69.
202 - Steve Stricker (US) 71, 67, 64; Jay Haas (US) 67, 68, 67; Robert Gamez (US) 67, 68, 67; Joe Durant (US) 66, 69, 67; Mark Hensby (Australia) 68, 65, 69; Stewart Cink (US) 70, 65, 67; Vaughan Taylor (US) 63, 69, 70.
203 - Jeff Sluman (US) 69, 68, 66; Tom Pernice Jr (US) 68, 68, 67; Vijay Singh (Fiji) 69, 67, 67; Jeff Brehaut (US) 65, 70, 68; John E. Morgan (Britain) 66, 69, 68.
204 - Scott McCarron (US) 70, 69, 65; Zach Johnson (US) 70, 69, 65; Scott Hoch (US) 68, 68, 68; Jim McGovern (US) 67, 69, 68; John Rollins (US) 66, 69, 69; Patrick Sheehan (US) 69, 66, 69. -Reuters
