aNew Zealander Michael Campbell collected his third victory of the season without playing a ball yesterday after the final round of the Linde German Masters was washed out.
With torrential rain leaving bunkers and greens unplayable, organisers decided to cancel yesterday's play altogether meaning that Campbell's one-stroke over-night lead prevailed.
The 31-year-old's total of 197, 19 under par, earned him the #271,612 top prize and moved the Kiwi up to fifth place in the Volvo Order of Merit.
Campbell's triumph over the Larcenhof course in Col-ogne - following rounds of 68, 64 and 65 - completed a hat trick of Tour wins this year for the Brighton-based golfer after his Johnnie Walker Classic and Heineken Classic successes earlier in the season.
The win - his first on European soil - also cements what has proved to be a remarkable comeback year for Campbell, who fell away badly after bursting on to the scene with a superb performance at the 1995 Open at St Andrews.
Campbell was clearly relieved to be declared the victor by one shot from Argentinian Jose Coceres.
''It was a long wait and I got more and more nervous,'' he said.
''It's the first time this has ever happened to me and it's a bit of an anti-climax due to the circumstances and I'm quite relieved about that. Your mind starts racing when you have to hang around the clubhouse for three hours and you start wondering about certain things.
''It's a shame that the heavens opened as I was looking forward to the challenge, but at the same time it's nice to get that first win on European soil.''
Campbell's win has now given him a slim chance of securing the European Order of Merit title, and he said: ''That has been my goal this year and I am now looking forward to the Volvo Masters and the American Express Championship.''
Colin Montgomerie's hopes of landing the title of top earner for an eighth straight year received a setback however, with the Scot having to settle for #91,750 and a share of third place with Padraig Harrington, dropping him below Campbell to sixth in the table.
With Montgomerie still nearly #450,000 behind leader Lee Westwood, he has now to win both the Volvo Masters and American Express titles to stand a chance of extending his record-breaking run as Europe's No.1.
Harrington was disappointed not to have had a chance to claim the top prize, and said: ''Third is nice but it's nothing like a win.''
Dubai Desert Classic winner Coceres, whose second place and #181,075 moves him up to eleventh in the order of merit, said: ''I am a little bit disappointed because I know I had a chance to win.
''I was playing well, but I think the fairways were better for fish than golfers! Now I want to finish in the top 10 in the Volvo Order of Merit.'' West- wood, meanwhile, ended in a share of eleventh place, on 13 under par, increasing his lead at the top of the order of merit to #69,933 over Ulsterman Dar- ren Clarke.
Rookie Australian Adam Scott secured his playing card for the 2001 season by finishing in a tie for sixth.
Scott, a professional for less than four months, won #43,153 to move to 100th place on the order of merit. Leading final scores and totals (Par 72. British and Irish unless stated)
197 - M Campbell (New Zealand) 68, 64, 65. #271,612
198 - J Coceres (Argentina) 66, 67, 65. #181,075
201 -C Montgomerie (Scotland) 67, 68, 66; P Harrington 66, 66, 69. #91,750 each
202 - T Bjorn (Denmark) 68, 66m 68. #69,098.
203 - M A Jiminez (Spain) 68, 70, 65; S Torrance 70, 67, 66; I Garrido (Spain) 69, 67, 67; A Scott (Australia) 70, 65, 68; B Langer (Germany) 67, 67, 69. #43,153 each
204 - L Westwood 70, 66, 68; A Cabrera (Argentina) 66, 69, 69; J Van De Velde (France) 71, 64, 69; P McGinley 71, 70, 64. #28,084 each
205 - P Fulke (Swedenb) 71, 67, 67; R Chapman 70, 67, 68.
206 - M McNulty (Zimbabwe) 71, 68, 67; P Lawrie 72, 66, 68; P Sjoland (Sweden) 66, 71, 69; S Garcia (Spain) 72, 65, 69; G Turner (New Zealand) 71, 65, 70.
207 - P Price 70, 72, 65; P U Johansson (Sweden) 68, 71, 68; P Mitchell 68, 70, 69; D Howell 70, 68, 69; R Winchester 67, 71, 69; J Moseley (Australia) 70, 67, 70; J Bickerton 68, 69, 70; A Cejka (Germany) 69, 67, 71.
208 M Farry (France) 71, 71, 66; D Carter 67, 74, 67; E Simsek (Germany) 72, 68, 68; P Eales 72, 67, 69; J Senden (Australia) 68, 70, 70; I Garbutt 70, 68, 70; A McLardy (South Africa) 68, 70, 70; N Faldo 70, 68, 70; A Coltart 68, 70, 70; E Canonica (Italy) 67, 70, 71; R Claydon 68, 70, 70.
209 - B Davis 69, 73, 67; S Struver (Germany) 73, 69, 67; S Luna (Spain) 69, 71, 69; T Dier (Germany) 72, 68, 69; D Robertson 69, 70, 70; V Singh (Fiji) 69, 70, 70; C Hanell (Sweden) 70, 69, 70; S Tinning (Denmark) 71, 67, 71.
210 - G Owen 70, 70, 70; G Orr 67, 72, 71.
211 - R Wessels (South Africa) 71, 70, 70; R Muntz (Netherlands) 72, 69, 70; E Darcy 73, 67, 71; A Wall 69, 70, 72; K Vainola (Finland) 73, 66, 72.
212 - C Rocca (Italy) 74, 68, 70; K Ekjord (Norway) 73, 69, 70; S Leaney (Australia) 71, 70, 71; D Park 72, 69, 71; M Florioli (Italy) 68, 72, 72; P Quirici (Switzderland) 70, 70, 72; E Romero (Argentina) 69, 70, 73.
213 - M Lanner (Sweden) 70, 72, 71; N Fasth (Sweden) 70, 71, 72; G Evans 71, 67, 75.
Others: 214 - P Baker 73, 68, 73. 218 - S Webster 71, 71, 77.
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