Jorge Berendt was doused in champagne on the 18th green as he became the third
Argentinian winner on the European Tour this season with his maiden victory in
the Cannes Open.
Berendt was mobbed by Argentinian players and caddies after carding a final
round 68 at Cannes Mougins for a 20 under par total and one-shot victory over
local favourite Jean Van de Velde.
The 37-year-old collected the first prize of £57,000 as he followed in the
triumphant footsteps of Angel Cabrera and Ricardo Gonzalez in 2001, all three
former caddies in their native country.
Frenchman Van de Velde, who closed with a brilliant 65, had the consolation of
securing his card for next season with compatriot Thomas Levet, Spain's Santiago
Luna and England's Andrew Marshall sharing third place.
"This is absolutely fantastic," said Berendt whose previous best performance
came when he lost a play-off to David Gilford for the Portuguese Open in 1993.
"I was very nervous on the last few holes but I am so proud of the way I
managed to keep myself and my game going.
"I didn't look at the leaderboards until the 18th tee because I wanted to
know exactly what I wanted to do."
That turned out to be a par four which looked in doubt as his approach to the
last flew over the green, leaving him a tricky pitch downhill to the flag.
"I was worried about that shot because that's the worst part of my game but I
have been working hard on it so I was more confident than I would have been in
the past and hit it to two feet."
Berendt added: "To follow in the footsteps of the likes of Eduardo Romero,
Angel Cabrera and Ricardo Gonzalez (his close friend who missed the cut but
stayed behind to watch Berendt's triumph) is just fantastic.
"I can't tell you how I feel right now to be up there alongside these great
Argentinian golfers."
Van de Velde also had reason to celebrate after securing his card for next
season after beginning the week in 138th on the Order of Merit.
"It could easily have been three or four shots better but I'm happy because
now I have a job next year," said Van de Velde, who would have had a 10-year
tour exemption if he had won the Open at Carnoustie in 1999.
"All I needed was to put a good week on the board and there it is. My play of
the last couple of months has not been reflected in my scores so today was
exactly what I needed.
"I won't be tempted to return to America now that I have my card here."
Berendt, who lost his card last season by just one place and had to return to
the qualifying school, started the final day two shots clear and was never
caught, a hat-trick of birdies from the fourth ensuring he kept clear of the
chasing pack.
Van de Velde came closest to getting on level terms when he birdied the 14th
and eagled the par five 16th to get within a stroke, but Berendt held his nerve
to complete a flawless final round.
Norfolk's Andrew Marshall was also delighted with his joint-third place in his
first experience of playing in the final group.
Marshall, who has already secured a card for the main tour next year via his
performances on the Challenge Tour, carded six birdies and four bogeys in his
closing 70 and will reap a healthy dividend for the 23 friends and members of
his golf club in Dereham in Norfolk who bought shares in the 28-year-old to
raise the £12,500 he needed to fund his season.
Kent's Warren Bennett however fell from outright third to joint sixth when he
ran up a double bogey six on the last.
Scores
268 J Berendt (Arg) 67 66 67 68 (£57,319)
269 J Van de Velde (Fra) 70 66 68 65 (£38,208)
272 T Levet (Fra) 69 66 69 68, S Luna (Spa) 70 66 68 68, A Marshall 65 68 69
70 (£17,769 each)
273 J Rystrom (Swe) 67 71 69 66, I Garrido (Spa) 69 67 67 70, W Bennett 66 66
70 71 (£10,317 each)
274 H Bjornstad (Nor) 65 68 70 71
275 SP Webster 68 72 67 68, P Eales 67 70 68 70, F Andersson (Swe) 70 68 67 70,
M Blackey 69 70 66 70
276 D Park 64 75 71 66, C Suneson (Spa) 68 67 71 70, B Dredge 68 67 71 70, R
Jacquelin (Fra) 69 65 71 71
277 R Sterne (Rsa) 71 71 68 67, M Maritz (Rsa) 71 69 68 69, L Parsons (Aus) 62
73 72 70, S O'Hara 67 69 71 70, V Phillips 67 69 69 72
278 J Robinson 66 76 71 65, R Wessels (Rsa) 66 70 73 69, J Romero (Spa) 70 68
71 69, P Gribben 71 69 67 71, R Winchester 69 69 68 72
279 D Terblanche (Rsa) 72 68 72 67, R Coles 68 70 73 68, D Higgins 70 72 69
68, W Riley (Aus) 66 69 75 69, S Dyson 71 67 71 70, T Munoz (Spa) 71 71 67 70, D
Dixon 69 69 70 71, G Houston 71 68 68 72
280 G Havret (Fra) 72 70 70 68, F Henge (Swe) 67 68 74 71, L Alexandre (Fra)
68 69 70 73
281 A Forsbrand (Swe) 68 74 71 68, M Pilkington 68 69 75 69, C Hanell (Swe) 71
69 72 69, M Farry (Fra) 71 70 71 69, D Lee 69 69 73 70, T Gogele (Ger) 73 67 71
70, JF Remesy (Fra) 69 70 71 71, F Cupillard (Fra) 70 67 72 72, S Dodd 67 71 71
72, M Mouland 71 67 69 74, S Gardiner (Aus) 68 70 68 75
282 H Nystrom (Swe) 72 69 71 70, P Fowler (Aus) 72 69 71 70, N Vanhootegem
(Bel) 71 69 70 72
283 N Kalouguine (Fra) 71 71 71 70, E Canonica (Ita) 71 68 71 73, E Simsek
(Ger) 70 67 72 74, G Storm 70 69 70 74
284 P Hanson (Swe) 69 71 75 69, R Claydon 71 70 73 70, JM Carriles (Spa) 69 73
71 71, P Broadhurst 70 68 70 76
287 M Reale (Ita) 71 69 76 71, D Hospital (Spa) 71 71 74 71, M Santi (Ita) 70
71 71 75
288 A Forsyth 69 72 74 73, G Evans 70 67 70 81
289 G Rojas (Arg) 72 69 70 78
290 R Byrd (USA) 72 67 75 76
291 O Edmond (Fra) 70 72 72 77
293 P Sjoland (Swe) 72 69 81 71
295 B Cornut (Fra) 71 70 76 78
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