McDowell beats Levet in playoff

Britain's former American collegiate champion Graeme McDowell claimed his second European Tour title on Monday when he beat Frenchman Thomas Levet in a sudden-death playoff for the Italian Open title.

Both players had finished a stroke ahead of the field on 19-under-par 197 after completing third and final round seven-under-par 65s, before 24-year-old Northern Irishman McDowell prevailed at the fourth extra hole.

The pair were locked together after two pars and a birdie but separated when Levet found the lake with his approach and McDowell hit the green.

Two putts from 15 feet earned McDowell a second title to go with the 2002 Scandinavian Masters victory in only his fourth tour event.

When the playoff pair returned to the course to finish off their rounds following the previous day's three-hour weather-disruption, Levet caught up McDowell with birdies at two of his last four holes to the Briton's one birdie in four.

McDowell, who had finished Sunday's play tied on top with another Frenchman, Gregory Havret, left a seven-foot birdie putt in the jaws of the 17th hole, and Levet scrambled home a 10-footer on the last to save par.

That left them a stroke better than 2001 Italian Open champion Havret.

His second success in three years was the more important of the two, said McDowell, because it confirmed his progression from a successful Walker Cup amateur career and collegiate record-holder, bettering Tiger Woods, when he attended the University of Alabama.

"When I won in Sweden I still felt like an amateur and now I feel like a pro. I've had two years working and grinding because being a pro is a different world," he told reporters in the post-tournament news conference.

"Everything happened too fast when I came on tour and I didn't know how to react to it. This feels five times as good as Sweden."

McDowell has completely changed his lifestyle to work towards his second success and he paid tribute to Woods's former coaches Butch Harmon and Harmon's son Claude for honing his swing.

Bringing in a fitness trainer and mental coach as part of a new team this season, gave him the sort of strength he needed to master the conditions and the pressure of a sudden-death playoff, he said.

Defeated Levet took consolation in his turn in form, saying: "I tried to hit an easy six-iron into the fourth playoff green but just caught it fat.

"But I was playing so badly before this week I nearly withdrew. Shooting two 65s and finishing 19-under for 54 holes would normally be good enough for a win."

As well as a cheque for $240,000 McDowell had the bonus of his 76 kilos weight in Grana Padano, a type of Parmesan cheese, awarded to the winner.

McDowell & Havret lead into Monday finish

Britain's Graeme McDowell and Frenchman Gregory Havret will take a one-stroke lead into the final stages of the weather-affected Italian Open when it is completed on Monday morning.

It is the first time a European Tour event has spilled over to a fifth day since Briton Paul Lawrie won the 2001 Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland on a Monday.

Heavy rain and lightning continued to cause havoc at the event, which had already been reduced to a 54-hole contest, with a three-hour suspension for poor weather and the mopping up operation that followed it.

Seconds before the players were brought in because of failing light late on Sunday, McDowell holed a 10 foot birdie putt on the short 14th in the third and final round, to join Havret, who has two holes to go, on 18-under-par.

Havret chipped in for eagle on the long 15th, his second eagle of the round, and then opted to finish the 16th as the field headed for the clubhouse.

Another Frenchman, Thomas Levet, also birdied the 14th not long before darkness brought an end to the fragmented round and sat a stroke off the lead, increasing France's chance of back-to-back victories after Christian Cevaer's win in last week's Canaries Spanish Open.

The second round had only been completed on Sunday morning because of the delays and suspensions and the loss of a whole day's play on Friday.

The leader after the second round was Argentine Angel Cabrera but by the end of play he lay three off the pace. He has four holes to go like his playing-partner McDowell.

It was Cabrera who made the most of the return following the three-hour delay, holing a birdie putt to share the lead with McDowell, who missed his 12ft birdie putt.

But the Argentine then found the lake at the long 12th to drop off the pace.

Joint-leader McDowell, with six birdies on his card, was frustrated by his return to the soaking course but in the end finished in a happier frame of mind.

"I left my putts short on the ninth, 10th and 11th but the birdie on the 14th gave me something good to sleep on," said McDowell, looking for a second victory after winning the 2002 Scandinavian Masters in only his fourth event.

Co-leader Havret was delighted that his chip-in eagle gave him a chance of his second win in the event in four years

"The tournament's been good to me and so was the 15th," he said.

Briton Alastair Forsyth and South African Martin Maritz, both with two holes to go, share fifth place four strokes off the lead.

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