Howell tames Tiger to land the jackpot

DAVID HOWELL lived up to Tiger Woods’ new nickname for him - “Cool Dude” - with a marvellous win over the world number one yesterday.

Just 11 weeks after ending six years without a victory, the 30-year-old from Swindon went head to head with Woods and not only held him at bay, but left him further behind to take Asia’s richest-ever event, the HSBC Champions, by three strokes.

Howell, round in 68 for a 20-under-par total of 268, collected a cheque for €704,516 and moves up from 19th to 13th in the world - above Luke Donald, Pádraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie.

With the tournament counting as the first leg of the new European tour season, he now stands third in the Ryder Cup standings behind Sergio Garcia and Montgomerie and can start making plans for a second cap against the Americans next September.

Nick Dougherty, eagled the 538-yard last to grab a share of third place with Australian Nick O’Hern, while world number two Vijay Singh and Dane Thomas Bjorn tied for fifth.

* Darren Clarke ended 12 months without a win when a closing 30-foot eagle putt gave him victory in the Visa Taiheiyo Masters in Japan for the second year running.

Clarke and Hideki Kase were joint leaders starting the final round, but Clarke was one ahead on the final tee after getting up and down from sand on the 17th.

The eagle meant a 68 and a two-stroke win for Clarke.

It was the 15th success of the Ulsterman’s professional career - and the world ranking points will boost his hopes of making next year’s Ryder Cup team.

* A birdie-birdie finish gave Ireland’s Des Smyth a two stroke victory in the season-ending Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship at Riffa Golf Club in Bahrain, a tournament which also saw Sam Torrance clinch the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit.

For both men it was a maiden triumph: Smyth’s first title on the European Seniors Tour and the first time Torrance had finished Number One.

Defending champion John Chillas rallied from back-to-back bogeys to birdie the last for a round of 67 that left him leading at eight under, but the Scotsman was denied victory by Smyth, who picked up shots at the closing two holes for a round of 70 and a total of ten under par 206.

Smyth said: “Everyone was saying beforehand that I would win easily as I had a three shot lead overnight, but it didn’t turn out that way. I felt like I was playing with my handbrake on and couldn’t release it.

“I have had two wins in America this year and this one, my first on the European Seniors Tour, is very important to me.

“It was important to get off to a win in Europe before too long and I am really happy about that.

“This has been a massive year, what with my successes on the golf course and my recent heart surgery, and next year is going to massive as well as I have been made vice-captain of the European Ryder Cup Team at The K Club in Ireland.”