Bjorn wins BMW title for second time

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn claimed his second BMW International title in three years with a confidence-boosting four-stroke success Sunday, a month before he plays in Europe's Ryder Cup team at The Belfry.

Bjorn's closing six-under-par 66 for a 24-under-par 264 total, left him four shots ahead of Belfry team mate Bernhard Langer of Germany and Englishman John Bickerton.

Europe's team captain Sam Torrance will be delighted that two of his main men for The Belfry are in form and there is every chance Bjorn and Langer could play together next month.

Langer's closing 68 was not enough to earn him the only German title he does not possess, but when he narrowed the overnight two-shot deficit to Bjorn with a birdie on the second, his adoring gallery were hopeful.

Bjorn instantly doubled the lead again, though, with a birdie of his own at the third. From there the issue was never again in doubt, although Bickerton with a triple run of birdies from the fourth and three more around the turn, stepped in to offer the British challenge that had been present all week.

He matched Bjorn's 66 but had to settle for his fifth career second place. It was Bickerton's second runner-up spot of the season, a month after finishing second in the Wales Open.

Bjorn's comfortable win was his seventh on the European Tour and came over 18 months after he had overcome world number one Tiger Woods in the Dubai Desert Classic.

The 31-year-old's form had dipped since then but, after finishing fifth in the Irish Open in late June, just missing the four-way playoff, and then tying for eighth in the British Open three weeks later, he was seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Rounds of 68, 64 and two 66s, show he can feel comfortable going into his second Ryder Cup foray and should give him hope of a rise back up the world rankings.

"I think Sam (Torrance) will be very happy after this," said the delighted Dane, "because this was good for our competitive spirit, going out head-to-head with Bernhard.

"Neither of us had given of our best for a time and this was just the sort of sensation we're going to get next month, playing under the utmost pressure.

Bjorn had played with Woods for all four rounds and won in Dubai and this time he had to play with the gallery's favorite for four days and that made the win even better, he felt.

"It's tough playing four days with Bernhard in Germany and I was very happy I could stay focused, that was the hard part."

Bjorn's win took him to 13th on the European rankings but he is not satisfied with that position and is aiming to better the world ranked 38th spot he held coming to Munich.

"Thirteenth is not what I had in mind when I set out for the year," he said. "But it's more important for me to climb back up the world rankings. That's what everything is focused on nowadays."

On the prospect of playing with Langer in the Ryder Cup, Bjorn said: "I've been getting more and more confident and perhaps I could help someone else.

"But we would make a good pair -- the more sensible man with the player who has a little bit of the wild things!"

Langer, remembering the glut of birdies the pair made in the Seve Trophy matches in April, said he would be happy to play with Bjorn at The Belfry.

"It's how you play in four weeks' time that counts but there's no doubt that playing better nearer the match gives you more confidence."

Last year's Munich winner John Daly finished 10 strokes behind after closing with a 69.

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