England's John Bickerton collected the biggest paycheque of his career with victory in the centenary edition of the French Open to catapult him into Ryder Cup contention.

The 36-year-old, originally from Droitwich but now living in Germany, banked £458,576 after holding off the challenge of Ireland's Padraig Harrington and 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell at Le Golf National.

From 29th in the European points list - courtesy of his second place at the Andalucia Open in April - Bickerton leapt to 10th. He also qualified for next month's Open at Hoylake.

He was only prevented from climbing higher by Harrington's second place finish - the 22nd of his European Tour career - and on the current standings would be in Ian Woosnam's team to face the USA at the K Club in September.

"It is impossible to sum up at the moment. It has been madness. I need to take my time and reflect on it later with a couple of large beers," said Bickerton, whose only other European Tour victory came at the Canarias Open last October.

"That is what we are here for the end of the day. I've been out here a long time now and it is nice to put some icing on the cake.

"It feels like a major at the moment. My mum Marilyn is not very well so she will be over the moon, it will please her a lot, but it is not just for me - it is for a lot of people.

"I first realised I could win it on Thursday. That score (a 63) was a good score in a first round.

"This is definitely the best week of my career."

Bickerton, who led the first two days but trailed playing partner Campbell by one at the start of play, survived a late wobble.

He birdied the par-five third to draw level at 10 under with Campbell and when the New Zealander bogeyed the seventh he was ahead.

Both birdied the 11th but when Bickerton chipped to two feet at the next he was two ahead - which became three when he got up and down for birdie at the 585-yard 14th.

However, he dropped two shots at the next when he put his approach in the water, although Campbell bogeyed to drop to nine under.

The New Zealander birdied the par-three 16th after hitting his tee shot to 15 inches to reduce the deficit to one before Bickerton played the shot of the tournament after missing the 17th green, chipping to seven feet to save par.

At the last, Campbell dumped his approach in the lake to make a double-bogey six so, with Harrington safely in the clubhouse at 10 under, all Bickerton had to do was make par and he did.

"When Michael knocked it stiff on 16, I felt the pressure a bit more but I just told myself 'keep going, keep going'," said Bickerton.

"But I felt some relief when Michael hit it into the water and then I actually hit an extra club (a five iron) just to make sure.

"You would walk off there with par any time and be happy, and a two-and-a-half-footer at the last was a test - the legs and hands were shaking."

All week Harrington has been insisting the course did not suit him but despite that he shot a final-round 66 - the joint lowest of the day - to finish just one behind Bickerton.

It was his 22nd runners-up spot of his European Tour career and, oddly, his second of the week after flying in from America after the rain-delayed Booz Allen Classic did not finish until Tuesday.

"Two seconds in one week - that is a bit unusual. But I recovered really well because I came in with jet lag," said the Irishman, who boosted his Ryder Cup prospects with a cheque for nearly £306,000.

"This is a very difficult golf course for me and I'm quite happy I've done as well as I've done on it.

"In fairness, I couldn't have asked to win the tournament. John had a putt to win and if it did come to a play-off it would have been his to lose so I can't complain.

"I probably won my own tournament this week. Sometimes you have to be in the hunt before you can win.

"It was a good week. it is nice to contend somewhat at the end of the week."

Collated final scores and totals in the final round of the European Tour French Open, Le Golf National, Paris, France

(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 71):

273 John Bickerton 63 70 71 69

274 Padraig Harrington 69 70 69 66

276 Marcus Fraser (Aus) 70 68 69 69, Ian Poulter 68 70 69 69, Michael Campbell (Nzl) 65 70 68 73

277 Anders Hansen (Den) 70 68 68 71

278 Andrew Coltart 68 73 70 67, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 71 68 71 68, Richard Green (Aus) 71 70 68 69

279 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 74 68 70 67, Alastair Forsyth 69 69 70 71

280 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 73 67 74 66, Paul Broadhurst 68 70 75 67, Paul Lawrie 69 68 75 68, Simon Khan 74 67 71 68, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 70 71 66 73

281 Jean van de Velde (Fra) 69 70 70 72, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 69 72 68 72, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 67 70 71 73, Bradley Dredge 69 66 71 75

282 Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 69 71 73 69, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 71 70 71 70, Adrien Mork (Fra) 76 66 70 70, Stephen Dodd 69 71 71 71, Graeme Storm 74 69 67 72, Mark Foster 67 71 71 73, Jamie Spence 69 70 70 73, Mattias Eliason (Swe) 69 70 69 74

283 Lee Westwood 71 71 73 68, Markus Brier (Aut) 68 68 78 69, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 75 67 71 70, Phillip Archer 70 71 70 72, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 71 67 72 73, Phillip Price 70 68 70 75, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 67 70 70 76, Mark Roe 70 70 68 75

284 Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 66 69 78 71, David Lynn 71 72 70 71, Robert Coles 73 68 71 72

285 Simon Wakefield 73 70 75 67, Peter Lawrie 70 69 75 71, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 72 72 71, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 67 68 78 72, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 68 75 69 73, Anthony Wall 74 67 70 74, Malcolm Mackenzie 70 70 70 75, Gary Murphy 71 70 69 75

286 Richard Finch 68 74 74 70, (x) Alexandre Kaleka (Fra) 74 69 73 70, Kenneth Ferrie 70 73 72 71, Ross Fisher 69 70 73 74, Andrew Butterfield 70 70 72 74, David Park 68 69 70 79

287 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 73 70 72 72, Steve Webster 72 71 72 72, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 71 72 71 73, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 69 73 69 76,

Peter Hanson (Swe) 70 71 67 79

288 Gary Orr 70 64 76 78

289 Peter Fowler (Aus) 75 68 75 71, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 71 71 72 75, Simon Dyson 73 69 70 77, Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 68 68 74 79, David Carter 67 70 73 79

291 James Kingston (Rsa) 72 69 70 80

292 Nicolas Joakimides (Fra) 71 72 70 79, Soren Hansen (Den) 68 74 70 80

293 Paul McGinley 72 71 73 77

294 Benn Barham 67 69 77 81

298 Michael Kirk (Rsa) 75 68 79 76, Sandy Lyle 71 70 76 81

299 Marcel Siem (Ger) 71 71 84 73