DROGHEDA, July 26: Australian Brett Rumford clinched his second European Tour title with a four-shot victory at the Irish Open on Sunday.
Rumford, a maiden winner in last year's Aa St Omer Open
, birdied four of the first five holes on his way to a closing five-under-par 67.
The 26-year-old from Perth reeled off eight birdies in all, including a chip-in from the rough at the par-three 15th, to finish at 14-under 274 on the County Louth links.
Local favourite Padraig Harrington fired a 67 for a share of second place at 10 under, level with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin who also returned a 67. Overnight pacesetter Peter Lonard of Australia, who led the for the first three rounds, slipped back with early bogeys on five and seven to card a 73 and finish fourth at nine under.
280 - Andrew Oldcorn (Britain) 71, 69, 71, 69; Paul Broadhurst (Britain) 73, 67, 70, 70; Paul McGinley (Ireland) 73, 71, 66, 70.
281 - Peter Baker (Britain) 70, 72, 69, 70; Peter Fowler (Australia) 70, 72, 69, 70; Nick O'Hern (Australia) 64, 74, 72, 71.
282 - Gary Evans (Britain) 77, 66, 72, 67; Sandy Lyle (Britain) 67, 74, 71, 70; Graeme McDowell (Britain) 73, 69, 70, 70; Peter O'Malley (Australia) 69, 69, 74, 70; Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 66, 70, 75, 71; James Kingston (South Africa) 68, 68, 72, 74.
283 - Cesar Monasterio (Argentina) 70, 73, 73, 67; Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 68, 73, 74, 68; Miguel Angel Martin (Spain) 70, 68, 74, 71; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 69, 70, 73, 71; David Carter (Britain) 70, 70, 70, 73.
284 - Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 70, 72, 73, 69; Robert Rock (Britain) 72, 70, 72, 70; Luke Donald (Britain) 71, 71, 71, 71; Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 70, 71, 72, 71.
286 - Christian Cevaer (France) 68, 70, 78, 70; Robert-Jan Derksen (Netherlands) 67, 70, 77, 72; Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 67, 73, 75, 71; Mark Roe (Britain) 67, 75, 72, 72; John Bickerton (Britain) 71, 73, 69, 73; Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 72, 68, 72, 74; Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 73, 69, 69, 75.
FRANCO TRIUMPHS
MILWAUKEE: Paraguay's Carlos Franco clinched his second Greater Milwaukee Open title on Sunday, firing a three-under-par 67 for a two-shot victory. The 39-year-old, joint leader overnight with Americans Brett Quigley and Patrick Sheehan, mixed five birdies with two bogeys to finish on 13-under 267 at Brown Deer Park.
Franco, winner here in 1999, clinched the fourth title of his PGA Tour career. Quigley carded a 69 to share second place with Fred Funk (66) at 11-under 269, with Sheehan (70) a further stroke back in a three-way tie for fourth with Olin Browne (67) and Billy Andrade (67).
