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Poulter captures 2nd European Tour title

England's Ian Poulter posted a three-under 70 Sunday for a total of 15-under-par 277 and a two-shot victory over fellow countryman David Lynn in the Moroccan Open.

The win was Poulter's first of the season and his second since joining the European Tour last year. He captured last season's Italian Open to clinch the 2000 Rookie of the Year award.

"It's fantastic. The hard work over the past few weeks has paid off," said the 25-year-old Poulter. "I set my goals as two wins this year and possibly a place on the Ryder Cup team. I've won one and if I keep playing the way I am you never know."

Poulter collected the winner's share of 106,507 euro to vault from 31st to 12th on the Order of Merit. He also earned enough points to move up three spots to sixth place in the European Ryder Cup rankings.

The biennial match versus the United States will be held September 28-30 at The Belfry in England.

Poulter increased the four-shot lead that he held overnight by a stroke when he sank a 25-foot birdie putt at the second hole. He tallied all pars until the par-five 10th, where his enormous drive left him with just an eight-iron to the green. He knocked his approach within four feet for an eagle to go to 15-under.

After suffering just his fifth bogey of the week at the 11th, Poulter was able to recoup the lost shot with a birdie at 12. He remained steady the rest of the way, rolling in several testing par putts to keep his pursuers at a distance.

Trailing Poulter by five shots at the start of the final round, Lynn looked to be headed for high score and a low finish after two bogeys in his first four holes. But he made a run with five birdies over the next six holes, then added another at the 13th to find 11- under.

Lynn closed with two birdies to finish at 13-under 279 with the day's co-low round of 67, one of only four rounds in the 60s on Sunday.

Australian Peter Lonard, a two-time winner on the Australasian Tour in the past five months, turned in a final-round 68 made up of six birdies and a bogey. He ended the tournament alone in third place at 12-under, two shots ahead Stephen Gallacher of Scotland and Frenchman Thomas Levet.

Gary Evans, four shots back to start the day, applied the early pressure on the leader with a birdie on the fourth hole and an eagle on the fifth. He drove behind a tree at the par-four sixth, however, and needed two shots to reach the putting surface. Once there he three-putted for a double-bogey. Evans finished with a one-under 72 at the par-73 Dar-es-Salam course, tying for sixth place at nine-under par with fellow Englishman Greg Owen.

American Hank Kuehne, the winner of the 1998 U.S. Amateur Championship, posted his fourth straight round of 71 to join Peter Hanson, Federico Bisazza and first-round leader Paul McGinley at minus-eight.

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