Ferrie comes in as Bjorn bombs in frenetic finale

KENNETH FERRIE departed here last night the richer by €577,816 after his sensational victory in the Smurfit European Open.

It’s a victory the 6 ft 4 inch, 16 stone, 36-year-old giant from Ashington, Northumberland will covet for the remainder of his days but for just about everybody else, the memories will be of the golfing disaster that afflicted the not so great Dane Thomas Bjorn, as well as the Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and the Scot, Andrew Coltart, over the closing holes at The K-Club.

Ferrie, who beat Ireland’s Peter Lawrie and Peter Hedblom of Sweden in a play-off for the Spanish Open in 2003 for his only previous Tour success, opened the event with a 75 before shooting three straight 70s for a three under par total of 285.