Sheffield's Mark Roe produced a brilliant performance to secure his European Tour future in the Italian Open in Sardinia.

Roe began the week in 131st on the Order of Merit - with only the top 115 guaranteed to retain their cards for next season - and needing to finish at least fourth to stand a chance of moving into the safety zone.

The 38-year-old's prospects did not look good when he began the day in 13th, seven shots off the lead, but he fired a flawless closing 66 to claim a four-way share of third place behind first-time winner Gregory Havret that lifted him to 111th on the money list.

"That was fun today but it hasn't changed my viewpoint about playing less golf next year," said Roe who can now have his pick of events next season in what he insists will be his 18th and last on tour.

"My priorities lie at home with my wife and children, that is going to be the case for the rest of my life, but I'm a very happy bunny at the moment.

"The most important thing was that there was pressure out there today and I stood up to it and played well.

"I felt I had my chances out there and really during the whole of play I wasn't looking at anything other than getting a total that might win the tournament.

"That is the best performance of the year by a long stretch. I've had an incredibly frustrating season. I've made 16 cuts but the best I've finished before today is 22nd.

"There have been so many times I have played well but not holed any putts. You start tearing your hair out wondering what do you have to do to have a good finish. I guess it comes down to a level of focus at the end of the day and I haven't always had that."

While Roe could celebrate, there were plenty of others instead contemplating a visit to the qualifying school after just missing out on keeping their card.

England's Shaun Webster made a brave attempt to grab the second place he needed with a final-round 68 but had to settle for a share of third alongside Roe, Spain's Diego Borrego and defending champion Ian Poulter - who had his second hole-in-one of the season on the 14th - with Welshman Bradley Dredge alone in second.

Webster narrowly missed a birdie putt on 17th and almost holed a bunker shot on the last but said: "I'm not going to be too greedy.

"I knew I had to do something pretty spectacular compared with the rest of the season and I'm pleased with the way I handled everything because I haven't been in that position too often.

"At least I'm playing well now so what better time to go the qualifying school?"

Scotland's Alastair Forsyth was unlikely to share such sentiments however having missed out on safety by just one place and £2,421.

Forsyth, pipped to the rookie of the year title by Poulter here 12 months ago, looked like he had done enough by making the halfway cut but could not dislodge Frenchman Christian Cevaer from 115th place, Cevaer finishing two shots ahead of him on nine under.

Forsyth had already left for the airport before the final standings were calculated and now faces a return to the school, which he won two years ago, to retain his card.

That was also the fate of Hartlepool's Graeme Storm (121), Kent's Peter Mitchell (123), Ireland's David Higgins (124), Essex's Robert Coles (127), Russell Claydon (130), Van Phillips and Wales' David Park.

Park was one of the biggest casualties having won the Compaq European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall in only his second tournament in 1999, seven days after losing out in a six-hole play-off to Spain's Miguel Angel Martin on his tour debut in Morocco.

"I'm not looking forward to going back but I don't have a choice," Park admitted. "I'll try and do my best and see what happens.

"I've been twice before and with hindsight I almost tried too hard and overdid it, you just have to prepare over a day and a half because it's a long week anyway with six rounds.

"I haven't been consistent enough all season and I picked up a back injury in the second round of the British Masters at Woburn, played on when I shouldn't have and was then out for three months when a lot of the big tournaments were on."

Australian Scott Gardiner faces the long trip to Spain after slipping from 114th to 118th by not playing here.

Gardiner went back to Australia last Friday thinking he did not have a place in the tournament and after receiving a late invite, missed a connecting flight from Brisbane to Sydney and could not get to Sardinia on time.

There were no such worries of course for Havret who secured a place in the £2million Volvo Masters next week with his win.

"I'm very happy of course," the former French amateur champion said. "It's my first year on tour and to win a tournament is great.

"My first goal was just to keep my card so this is a great bonus."

Dredge meanwhile was left cursing a double bogey on the fifth, where he pulled his drive into bushes and lost his ball, but had the consolation of his best-ever finish on tour.

"I really wanted to win but it's my best finish so I have to be pleased," said Dredge. "I was not hitting the ball well today so I was pleased that I stayed in contention."

Collated scores in the final round of Italian Open, Is Molas, Cagliari (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72) (x) denotes amateurs

268 G Havret (Fra) 65 66 68 69 (£103,622)

269 B Dredge 69 66 65 69 (69,803)

271 M Roe 63 69 73 66, I Poulter 67 69 68 67, SP Webster 70 67 66 68, D Borrego (Spa) 70 66 65 70 (29,533 each)

272 H Stenson (Swe) 67 70 68 67, S Webster 68 67 68 69 (17,098 each)

273 M Brier (Aut) 70 66 70 67, D Howell 71 66 68 68, M Reale (Ita) 63 73 68 69, F Andersson (Swe) 65 72 67 69, T Immelman (Rsa) 70 67 65 71 (11,701 each)

274 S Dodd 70 68 68 68, M Ilonen (Fin) 68 71 66 69, S Struver (Ger) 66 68 64 76

275 J Lomas 68 72 70 65, A Wall 66 71 72 66, W Bennett 70 71 68 66, R Green (Aus) 72 69 66 68, J Van de Velde (Fra) 67 65 74 69, S Grappasonni (Ita) 70 65 69 71

276 C Suneson (Spa) 73 68 69 66, R Coles 72 68 69 67, J Robinson 70 68 70 68, N Vanhootegem (Bel) 70 69 68 69, S Luna (Spa) 69 70 68 69, R Russell 66 70 70 70

277 J Rystrom (Swe) 66 70 71 70, G Evans 70 70 66 71, P Sjoland (Swe) 69 71 66 71

278 E Romero (Arg) 66 70 75 67, M Santi (Ita) 68 74 69 67, R Johnson (Swe) 70 70 70 68, S Gallacher 67 71 69 71, R Rafferty 68 69 69 72, M Scarpa (Ita) 70 69 64 75

279 R Chapman 67 69 72 71, R Byrd (USA) 68 72 68 71, O Karlsson (Swe) 72 70 66 71, P Hanson (Swe) 71 66 70 72, L Parsons (Aus) 68 71 68 72, C Cevaer (Fra) 69 66 71 73

280 S Richardson 67 73 72 68, T Edlund (Swe) 69 73 70 68, H Bjornstad (Nor) 71 68 70 71, S Soffietti (Ita) 68 73 68 71, P Lonard (Aus) 69 70 69 72

281 A Forsyth 70 70 71 70

282 E Boult (Nzl) 71 70 74 67, M Mackenzie 70 70 73 69, R Winchester 73 68 70 71, M Mouland 70 71 70 71, M Pilkington 69 69 72 72, A Cabrera (Arg) 72 68 67 75

283 D Lee 72 69 72 70, P Broadhurst 70 72 71 70, D Park 72 67 73 71, E Canonica (Ita) 71 70 71 71, G Pietrobono (Ita) 67 70 74 72, A Tadini (Ita) 71 69 69 74

284 D Edlund (Swe) 70 71 74 69, S Hurd 73 69 72 70, L Bernardini (Ita) 70 72 70 72

285 E De La Riva (Spa) 72 68 75 70, N Cheetham 70 70 72 73

286 T Gogele (Ger) 70 71 74 71, S Reale (Ita) 71 70 73 72, P Terreni (Ita) 73 69 71 73, N Henning (Rsa) 74 68 70 74

289 (x) A Romano (Ita) 69 71 69 70

291 (x) M Rigone (Ita) 75 67 76 73, P Eales 73 69 74 75