Coceres cruises to second European win

Jose Coceres ended a six-year wait for his second European Tour win when the 36-year-old Argentine clinched the Desert Classic title on Sunday by two strokes.

Coceres could even afford to double bogey the last hole on his way to a closing one-over-par 73 for an aggregate of 14-under-par 274, two shots better than Swede Patrik Sjoland and Ireland's Paul McGinley.

The player from Buenos Aries led the tournament from start to finish, sharing the lead in round one with England's Lee Westwood but then outdoing a world-class field which included European number one Colin Montgomerie, major champions Jose Maria Olazabal, Justin Leonard and Mark O'Meara and last week's Matchplay World Champion Darren Clarke.

On his way to earning his biggest cheque of $225,000 , six years since he took the Catalan Open title, Coceres first broke the course record with Westwood and then just kept increasing his lead each day.

Going into the final round he was five ahead of Briton Jamie Spence in second place. Although Spence briefly closed to within two strokes, Coceres was hardly ruffled until the final hole when he drove into the Creek after holding a four-stroke advantage going to the 18th.

Up to the last three holes Coceres, unable to sink a telling putt, had run up only pars but when he birdied the short 16th victory was asssured.

It only shortened his margin of victory with Spence already spent by four back-nine bogeys and McGinley and Sjoland already in the clubhouse on 276.

As Coceres walked off the last green, he pulled out a white cloth bearing the names of his family, to whom he dedicated his second tour success.

"I am very happy, especially for my family and friends," said Coceres, who for years has been sending part of his winnings back home to not only his new family but also his 10 brothers and sisters.

"I made sure I could send a message to my family. I had it prepared in the hope I would win. So right from the first hole I knew it wouldn't be good to finish second because the win is for the people who were supporting me."

Coceres became the first Argentine to win a European Tour title since Eduardo Romero took the 1994 European Masters and it was Romero who first encouraged the one-time caddie to try his hand in Europe.

Joint runners-up Sjoland and McGinley both did their Ballesteros Trophy causes a power of good. Both have now moved up the European order of merit into strong positions for the final ninth card for their respective teams, McGinley for the British Isles team for Sunningdale next month, and Sjoland for Europe's squad.

After slipping from fifth place in Europe in 1998, though, Sjoland has other targets. "My goal is to get back into the top 50 in the world," said the Swede, who had plummeted to 93rd in the world rankings after an indifferent 1999. "That opens the door to majors. And top 10 in Europe again and another win would be nice."

McGinley is keen to move up the world rankings too, as he bettered his joint third place in Dubai last year. The Irishman has now had top-five placings in five of his last seven events.

Westwood, who lost his chance of victory when he shot 75 in second-round high winds, had to settle for a share of fourth place two further strokes back, with Spence, British Open Champion Paul Lawrie and young Scot Stephen Gallacher, nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher.

Colin Montgomerie lost further ground on runaway European rankings leader Clarke. While Clarke finished tied 17th and earned $16,000 , Montgomerie had his worst finish for 18 months to close on 289 and hold only a share of 46th place for $7,000 .

That enabled Clarke to increase his lead over the seven-times European number one in the order of merit to £600,000 sterling, £369,000 ahead of his nearest rival Michael Campbell of New Zealand.

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