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O'Malley wins with late charge

Australia's Peter O'Malley posted a final-round 66 on Sunday to overcome a five-stroke deficit and win the English Masters. His 13-under 275 was one better than Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and two better than Adam Scott, who held a piece of the lead after all three previous rounds.

O'Malley was in the clubhouse at 13-under while Jacquelin had three holes to play. Jacquelin drained a 35-foot birdie at the 16th to draw even with O'Malley and then missed a birdie putt from the same distance at the next hole.

The 209-yard, par-three closing hole at the Arden Course settled the tournament. Jacquelin missed the green from the tee with a three-iron and landed in a greenside bunker. He blasted out to 12 feet where the Frenchman missed his chance at a playoff when his putt went right and did not graze the hole.

It was another huge comeback for O'Malley as was his first victory over Colin Montgomerie in the 1992 Scottish Open. He went five-under over his last seven holes.

Once again it was a stretch around the turn that gave O'Malley his third win on the European Tour. He drained a 25-foot birdie at 10 and followed with a 15-footer for birdie at the next hole.

The par-five 12th proved to be a pivotal hole as O'Malley ran home a 60- foot eagle to grab a piece of the lead for the first time. He added a birdie at 14 to go six-under from holes 8-14.

"I guess I was thinking about Gleneagles after I finished," said O'Malley, referring to the course where he won in 1992. "On that occasion I didn’t see anyone else finish because I was told no one could beat (me), but I was watching this time. Certainly my run from the eighth to the 14th was similar golf to that tournament."

Jacquelin's only bogey came at the closing hole as he posted a two-under 70. He was attempting to become the second consecutive Frenchman to win on the European Tour, following Thomas Levet's victory at the British Masters.

"I enjoyed being in contention very much," said Jacquelin, who earned his fourth top-10 this season. "If someone had said at the start of the week that I would be second then I would have been very happy."

Scott, the winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship earlier this year, fell off the pace with three bogeys in his first six holes. He finished with a one-over 73 on Sunday.

"I just played badly today," Scott said. "I didn’t make any putts. It is disappointing but I am sure I will have another chance."

Two-time defending champion Darren Clarke carded a 68 on Sunday and shared fifth place with Retief Goosen, Steve Webster and Lee Westwood.

Ian Poulter finished alone in ninth at six-under and Paul McGinley rounded out the top-10 at five-under 283.

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