Sandrine Mendiburu confirmed she has learned winning ways as a professional when she became the European Tour's first back-to-back winner in five years in the Hannover Expo 2000 Open in Germany on Sunday.

With a spectacular finale -- she birdied the final two holes -- the French 26-year-old closed with a 71 to break clear of the pack and set the title alongside her victory in the Donegal Irish Open two weeks ago.

On that occasion, she had asked her boyfriend, Franck Riboud (the wealthy businessman behind the Tour's Evian Masters) to fly in and lend support, and she had needed two extra holes to come through in a four-way play-off.

This time, Franck was at home in Paris and she didn't need any to go beyond regulation time to join England's Laura Davies -- with wins in the Chrysler Open, McDonald's WPGA Championship of Europe and Compaq Open -- as a multi-winner this season.

On 8-under-par 208, Mendiburu collected her second successive £15,000 winner's check by a two shot margin from England's Lora Fairclough, who had surged through the field and set a stiff 6-under-par target after a best of day 67.

With seven birdies in 11 holes from the third, it could have been even better if she hadn't eventually succumbed to the tough blustery conditions by dropping shots at the 14th and 17th.

"Today was fun," said Mendiburu, showing the confidence of someone who has suddenly found the winning touch. "Lora set a tough target and it was great way to finish."

Pos. Score Name and Nationality R1 R2 R3 GBP EURO* ---- -------- ----------------------------------- -- -- -- ---------- ---------- 1 208( -8) Sandrine Mendiburu (FRA) 73 64 71 15000.00 22395.00 2 210( -6) Lora Fairclough (ENG) 72 71 67 10150.00 15153.95 3 211( -5) Claire Duffy (ENG) 70 68 73 7000.00 10451.00 4 212( -4) Raquel Carriedo (ESP) 71 72 69 5400.00 8062.20 5 213( -3) Elaine Ratcliffe (ENG) 74 70 69 4240.00 6330.32 6 214( -2) Anna Berg (SWE) 67 71 76 3500.00 5225.50 7= 215( -1) Patricia Meunier Lebouc (FRA) 70 74 71 2750.00 4105.75 Catherine Schmitt (FRA) 71 71 73 2750.00 4105.75 9= 216(Par) Kirsty Taylor (ENG) 70 75 71 2120.00 3165.16 Trish Johnson (ENG) 73 72 71 2120.00 3165.16 11= 218( +2) Mette Hageman (NL) 69 76 73 1644.00 2454.49 Mia Lojdahl (SWE) 72 72 74 1644.00 2454.49 Laura Navarro (ESP) 73 71 74 1644.00 2454.49 Lara Tadiotto (BEL) 70 73 75 1644.00 2454.49 Sara Eklund (SWE) 72 69 77 1644.00 2454.49 16= 219( +3) Ana Belen Sanchez (ESP) 74 76 69 1361.66 2032.96 Nicola Moult (ENG) 74 73 72 1361.66 2032.96 Valerie Van Ryckeghem (BEL) 71 74 74 1361.66 2032.96 Tina Fischer (GER) 70 73 76 1361.66 2032.96 Vibeke Stensrud (NOR) 70 73 76 1361.66 2032.96 Judith Van Hagen (NL) 72 69 78 1361.66 2032.96 22= 220( +4) +Niloufar Azam (A) (SWI) 76 71 73 Amateur +Rikke Rasmussen (A) (DEN) 72 74 74 Amateur Alison Munt (AUS) 71 73 76 1225.00 1828.93 Barbara Pestana (SA) 72 72 76 1225.00 1828.93 26= 221( +5) Deni Booker (AUS) 74 75 72 1165.00 1739.35 Ludivine Kreutz (FRA) 71 75 75 1165.00 1739.35 28= 222( +6) Rachel Kirkwood (ENG) 76 75 71 1090.00 1627.37 Asa Gottmo (SWE) 72 76 74 1090.00 1627.37 Erica Steen (SWE) 70 77 75 1090.00 1627.37 31= 223( +7) Silvia Cavalleri (ITA) 77 74 72 985.00 1470.61 Elisabeth Esterl (GER) 71 77 75 985.00 1470.61 Susanne Westling (SWE) 74 72 77 985.00 1470.61 Regine Lautens (SWI) 73 73 77 985.00 1470.61 35= 224( +8) +Nienke Nijenhuis (A) (NL) 79 70 75 Amateur Joanne Mills (AUS) 72 76 76 895.00 1336.24 Jane Leary (AUS) 73 73 78 895.00 1336.24 38= 225( +9) Susan Elliott (ENG) 77 75 73 775.00 1157.08 Chris Greatrex (CAN) 75 75 75 775.00 1157.08 Joanne Oliver (ENG) 73 76 76 775.00 1157.08 Wendy Dicks (ENG) 75 73 77 775.00 1157.08 Julie Forbes (SCO) 75 72 78 775.00 1157.08 Samantha Head (ENG) 74 72 79 775.00 1157.08 44= 226(+10) Marjan De Boer (NL) 77 75 74 601.42 897.92 Laurette Maritz (SA) 76 76 74 601.42 897.92 Sofia Gronberg Whitmore (SWE) 76 75 75 601.42 897.92 Lynnette Brooky (NZ) 77 72 77 601.42 897.92 Ana Larraneta (ESP) 75 74 77 601.42 897.92 Caroline Hall (ENG) 76 73 77 601.42 897.92 Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (FRA) 72 74 80 601.42 897.92 51= 227(+11) Christina Kuld (DEN) 75 77 75 510.00 761.43 Marlene Hedblom (SWE) 75 75 77 510.00 761.43 53= 228(+12) Iben Tinning (DEN) 73 79 76 440.00 656.92 Lisa Educate (ENG) 77 75 76 440.00 656.92 Gillian Stewart (SCO) 79 72 77 440.00 656.92 Li Wen-Lin (ROC) 77 72 79 440.00 656.92 Esther Poburski (GER) 77 72 79 440.00 656.92 58= 229(+13) Aideen Rogers (IRE) 75 77 77 370.00 552.41 Pernilla Sterner (SWE) 73 78 78 370.00 552.41 60= 230(+14) Xonia Wunsch (ESP) 77 74 79 317.50 474.03 Sandra Fischer (AUT) 76 74 80 317.50 474.03 Federica Dassu (ITA) 73 76 81 317.50 474.03 Virginie Roques (FRA) 74 74 82 317.50 474.03 64= 231(+15) Karina Orum (DEN) 75 76 80 177.50 265.01 Sofie Eriksson (SWE) 76 74 81 177.50 265.01 66= 232(+16) Ruth Nugent (ENG) 80 72 80 177.50 265.01 Susan Moorcraft (ENG) 77 74 81 177.50 265.01 ************** missed cut ************** 68= 153( +9) Linda Ericsson (SWE) 79 74 Barbara Hackett (IRE) 76 77 Tracey Lipp (CAN) 77 76 Marine Monnet (FRA) 74 79 Sarah Bennett (ENG) 76 77 Marion Verspieren (FRA) 73 80 74= 154(+10) Therese Hjertstedt (SWE) 81 73 Natascha Fink (AUT) 78 76 Catherine Panton-Lewis (SCO) 75 79 Karin Ross (SCO) 76 78 Amaia Arruti (ESP) 80 74 Marina Arruti (ESP) 81 73 Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN) 80 74 81= 155(+11) Josefin Stalvant (SWE) 76 79 Julie Castanier (FRA) 82 73 83= 156(+12) Isabella Maconi (ITA) 81 75 Lilia Maaref (TUN) 78 78 Filippa Helmersson (SWE) 77 79 Caroline Diethelm (SWE) 80 76 Helena Ohlsson (SWE) 77 79 88 157(+13) Katie Tebbet (ENG) 79 78 89= 158(+14) Martina Koch (GER) 77 81 Daniela Mitterer (GER) 84 74 91= 159(+1 96 171(+27) Annabelle Haxhe (BEL) 90 81 97 173(+29) Anouk Guelidi (FRA) 86 87 98 174(+30) Astrid Kohlwes (GER) 90 84 99= RTD Nina Karlsson (SWE) - - Pamela Wright (SCO) 80 - * Euro values based on exchange rate of GBP1 = E1.4930