British Masters joy for Edfors

Swede Johan Edfors, 410th in the world at the start of the year, became the shock winner of the Quinn Direct British Masters at The Belfry today – after three of the biggest names in European golf all had a day to forget.

With a round to play, Paul Casey led by two from US Open champion Michael Campbell – with Darren Clarke one shot further back.

But in what became a comedy of errors, Casey and Clarke both shot 76 and Campbell had a 74 – and not one of them even managed second place, let alone take the title.

Thirty-year-old Edfors, little-known until now apart from the fact that he used to have Sven-Goran Eriksson’s son as his caddie, needed only a closing 70 to take the title with an 11-under-par total of 277.

The winning cheque more than doubled his European tour earnings – and that is even taking into account his maiden victory on the circuit in China in March.

Edfors won there with a closing birdie. This time he triumphed despite a closing bogey – and that rather summed up the final day action.

Birdie putts of 25 feet at the 15th and 17th, the two par fives on the inward half of the famous Ryder Cup venue, were the shots which suddenly make him a leading candidate for this September’s match in Dublin.

England’s Gary Emerson (67), Scot Stephen Gallacher (71) and Swede Jarmo Sandelin (70) finished joint second – and would have been in a play-off if they had birdied the 473-yard last.

Casey and Campbell came to the hole in the same position but were hardly full of confidence after what had gone before – and once both had missed the green, they bogeyed to fall into a tie for fifth place.

Clarke, meanwhile, bogeyed three of the last four and ended up only tied 11th.

Meanwhile, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington both finished strongly to end up seven under and five under respectively. David Higgins finished on even par for the four rounds.