Golf: Campbell finishes third at French Open

SAINT QUENTIN, France - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell could not hold on to his overnight lead in the French Open and faded to finish third behind Britain's John Bickerton.

Campbell was a threat after drawing within a stroke of Bickerton with a birdie on 16. However, he lost his victory chance and a share of second place with Ireland's Padraig Harrington by hitting his approach into the lake to double-bogey the last.

Campbell finished in a tie for third place, three behind Bickerton, with Australian Marcus Fraser and another Briton, Ian Poulter.

Bickerton, who led after the first two rounds and was a stroke behind Campbell after the third, survived a late wobble on the National course's infamous closing stretch today to claim the French Open title by a stroke.

He double-bogeyed the 15th water hole but did just enough to avoid a playoff with Ireland's Padraig Harrington after carding a two-under-par 69 for an 11-under four-round total 272.

The last four holes at the National have claimed many victims in the past and Bickerton had to keep his cool after a three-shot advantage was cut to just a stroke by his six on the 15th after finding the lake with his approach.

On the long, uphill par-four 17th, the 36-year-old Englishman drove into heavy rough and sprayed his second shot over the path and to the right.

But he then produced one of the shots of the tournament to chip to seven feet and save par. When he made the island 18th green, Bickerton's two putts for par earned him over US$800,000 ($1.31 million), one of the richest prizes of the European Tour season.

His 666,660 Ryder Cup points took Bickerton, whose only win was at last year's minor Canaries Open in his 12th year on the tour, to 10th on the European table.

Harrington, who was runner-up in the US Tour's Booz Allen Classic, chalked up a remarkable 22nd second place in European tour strokeplay events in 10 years after birdies at the last two holes for a 66, the joint-best round of the day.

The Irishman, who said yesterday he could not win on the course, came to the National looking for Ryder Cup points and picked up 440,440 points to move into sixth place on the Cup table.

- REUTERS