Levet clinches title with closing 63

Frenchman Thomas Levet fired a closing 63 to come from seven strokes behind to win the Scottish Open by a shot on Sunday.

Levet, the third French winner in the last four European Tour events, finished on 15-under-par 269 to pip New Zealand's Michael Campbell.

World number two Ernie Els, who beat Levet in a sudden-death shootout for the 2002 British Open title, made a brave defence of his Loch Lomond crown.

The South African, who closed with a 68, finished tied third with Briton David Howell, two strokes behind the winner.

Levet's eight-under round, one off the course record, also sealed a British Open spot next week at Royal Troon.

"The place in the Open is probably the most exciting thing," said Levet. "A win is a win, but playing in the Open is something else.

"You have all these guys out there, they know what I did two years ago, and it is still in the back of my mind."

An exhilarating back nine, which he covered in six-under-par 29 by running in an eagle and four birdies, helped Levet better the European Tour catch-up record for the season by a stroke as he went past struggling overnight joint leaders Marcus Fraser of Australia and Frenchman Gregory Havret.

"Life is strange and golf more strange. I have been playing terrible for the last two weeks and I was ready to pack in and have a holiday," said the Parisien.

"The 29 on the back nine was the best I've ever played, considering the pressure. My chip on the 14th to a few feet which put me in front was one in a million, a hallelujah shot."

As Levet went on his fine run on the back nine, Campbell stayed alongside before throwing in bogeys on 14 and 15, but it was the missed putt at the last which eventually ended his hopes of a seventh title.

Els said his strong finish to the week had put him in an upbeat mood before the British Open.

"I hit a couple of bad ones today but I know what I have to work on for next week and at least I take a little bit of form there, better form than I was in on Thursday," he said.

Havret and Fraser, both also looking to seal the one British Open spot left for the highest non-qualified finisher, lost their way on the back nine.

Fraser three-putted the last for bogey to finish tied fifth on 272 while Havret was a further stroke back.

Another good finish by Lee Westwood, who tied for 10th, took the Briton to the brink of a Ryder Cup place.

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