Australian Brett Rumford ended more than two years of misery with a commanding
victory in the St Omer Open in France on Sunday.
Rumford carded a final round 67 for a 15 under par total of 269 and a
five-shot winning margin over Leeds' Ben Mason, with Italy's Federico Bisazza
four shots further back in third.
The 25-year-old from Perth, who lost his card last year and missed out on
regaining it by one shot at the qualifying school, collected the winner's cheque
for £46,901 and an even more valuable one-year tour exemption.
It also means he can fulfil his best-man duties at his elder brother and
former caddie Mitch's wedding in November, which would have clashed with the
qualifying school.
Most significantly however, it also finally wiped out the bitter memories of
the last time he had led a tournament going into the final round.
In the Ericsson Masters in February 2001, Rumford led by three shots only to
shoot a final round 76 and hand victory to Colin Montgomerie.
"My game went on a bit of a slide since that tournament," admitted Rumford.
"I put myself in the same predicament again here and I'm so happy I was able to
trust my game and play the golf I know I can play.
"I'm very proud of myself. Ben was coming at me early so I had to dig deep
and play the golf I had done all week.
"Now I want to enjoy this because I've waited so long for it. The exemption
is of huge significance and was what we were all playing for this week because
the prize money alone was not enough to get your card.
"It's great to be able to plan for the next 18 months and now I might be able
to go home after the Open and enjoy the win with family. They know what I've
gone through, the heartache and tears. They feel it as much as I do."
Rumford led from start to finish after a course record 64 in the first round
and began the final day three shots clear.
Mason immediately reduced the deficit with a birdie on the first and after
Rumford had birdied the third, the young Yorkshireman closed the gap to a single
stroke with birdies on the fourth and fifth.
However, Mason bogeyed the eighth after Rumford had picked up a shot at the
previous hole, and the Australian then enjoyed a vital slice of luck at the
ninth.
After pushing his drive, Rumford pulled his second shot to within three inches
of the out of bounds up the left-hand side of the hole, but was able to escape
with a par five.
"That was extremely lucky," conceded Rumford. "That could have been a
turning point and all of a sudden it would have probably been tied instead of
three ahead but they are the breaks you need when you win tournaments."
Rumford made the most of his good fortune with a birdie from close range on
the next to stretch his lead to four shots and was never threatened from then
on.
Mason could also celebrate his best finish as a professional, while the
£31,267 for second place means he is almost certain to retain his card for next
season through the Challenge Tour.
"I got off to a great start and put a bit of pressure on Brett but he
responded really well and played superbly after that," said the 25-year-old
Yorkshireman.
"I would have liked to have shot a bit lower but second place is pretty good
and I'm happy with that. Playing in the last group on the final day is a great
experience and hopefully there will be many more to come.
"I would have thought that may be good enough to finish in the top 15 on the
Challenge Tour and get my card for next year, and now I can concentrate on the
main tour."
Collated scores and totals in final round of the European Tour St Omer Open, St Omer GC, France (Gbr & Irl unless stated, Par 71)
(x) denotes amateurs
269 Brett Rumford (Aus) 64 70 68 67 (£46,901pds)
274 Ben Mason 70 69 66 69 (£31,267)
278 Federico Bisazza (Ita) 68 72 68 70 (£17,617)
279 James Hepworth 70 72 70 67, Damien McGrane 72 70 69 68, Peter Hanson (Swe)
69 69 70 71, Mattias Eliasson (Swe) 66 73 69 71 (£11,074 each)
280 Martin Lemesurier (Fra) 72 73 68 67, Cesar Monasterio (Arg) 66 73 72 69,
Stuart Little 71 68 71 70, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 68 67 74 71, Garry Houston 68 69
68 75
281 Sebastien Branger (Fra) 69 69 72 71, Bjorn Pettersson (Swe) 68 74 68 71,
Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 70 69 70 72
282 Neil Cheetham 71 72 74 65, Lucas Parsons (Aus) 72 69 73 68, Erol Simsek
(Ger) 71 70 71 70
283 Pasi Purhonen (Fin) 73 70 73 67
284 Philip Walton 74 70 71 69, Sion Bebb 69 72 72 71, Allan Hogh (Den) 71 72
70 71, Raphael Pelliocioli (Ita) 74 71 68 71, Marc Pendaries (Fra) 69 72 71 72,
Paul Broadhurst 69 69 73 73, Michele Reale (Ita) 70 69 72 73
285 Mark Sanders 70 70 74 71, Philip Golding 74 67 73 71, Robert Coles 70 71
73 71, Marco Bernardini (Ita) 70 71 73 71, Marco Soffietti (Ita) 72 72 70 71,
Pehr Magnebrant (Swe) 71 74 69 71, Michael Kirk (Rsa) 69 69 75 72, Gary Clark 72
70 71 72, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 74 70 69 72
286 Titch Moore (Rsa) 71 70 74 71, Johan Edfors (Swe) 71 71 73 71, Greig
Hutcheon 73 72 70 71, Joakim Rask (Swe) 68 74 71 73, Philippe Lima (Fra) 68 74
71 73
287 Michael Archer 70 71 77 69, Jamie Little 72 70 76 69, Lionel Alexandre
(Fra) 70 70 77 70, Oskar Bergman (Swe) 72 71 71 73, Gianluca Baruffaldi (Ita) 70
71 70 76
288 Fredrik Orest (Swe) 74 71 74 69, Scott Drummond 72 73 73 70, Denny Lucas
67 75 75 71, Simon Dyson 69 75 72 72, Christopher Hanell (Swe) 70 73 71 74
289 Marcel Haremza (Ger) 70 73 74 72, Jean Hugo (Rsa) 71 74 72 72, Brad
Kennedy (Aus) 72 71 73 73, Edward Rush 72 71 73 73, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 70 71 74
74, Paul Dwyer 72 72 71 74
290 Thomas Norret (Den) 74 70 75 71, Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 74 70 75 71, David
Dupart (Fra) 71 74 74 71, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 71 74 73 72, Massimo Florioli
(Ita) 71 72 74 73, Kariem Baraka (Ger) 73 72 73 72, Paul McKechnie 70 75 73 72
291 Sam Little 68 76 74 73, Andrew Beal 70 75 72 74
292 Nicolas Marin (Fra) 71 73 75 73, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 71 73 74 74, Nicolas
Vanhootegem (Bel) 74 71 71 76
293 Dominique Nouailhac (Fra) 74 71 73 75
294 Daniel Alfredo Vancsik (Arg) 74 70 77 73, Raimo Sjoberg (Swe) 71 74 73 76
295 Mark Mouland 75 70 77 73, David Geall 71 71 77 76, Olivier David (Fra) 74
71 73 77
296 Lee James 75 70 77 74, Stefano Reale (Ita) 74 71 74 77
299 (x) Jerome Guillain (Fra) 74 70 76 79
300 Gary Cullen 70 75 78 77
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