| Madeira,
Portugal, 21st June 1998 - Sweden's
Mats Lanner rejoined the European Tour after losing his card 18 months ago with
his one stroke win in the Madeira Island Open on Sunday. Lanner's
closing one-over-par 73 for an 11-under 277 relegated long-time leader Stephen
Scahill of New Zealand to second place. Scahill
had roared ahead with a second round 61 but Lanner was in front by the sixth after
the Wellington professional ran up his third bogey in a poor start to the final
round. Scahill's
76 for 278 was one better than Britain's Andy Beal, who bogeyed the last for a
73 to deny himself a share of second place. After
a near-three hours delay because of low cloud on the mountain-top Santo da Serra
course, Scahill's nervy overhit approach to bogey the first immediately cut his
lead to only one stroke. As
Lanner ran up the pars, the New Zealander faltered further, dropping three more
shots before the turn to hand the Swede a two-stroke lead. Lanner's
only bogey came at 13 to narrow his advantage to one but a bunker save on the
last with a pitch to two feet, brought him a two-year playing exemption and the
£50,000 first prize. "I'll
remember that bunker shot for the rest of my life," said Lanner after adding
to his 1994 win in Madeira and the 1987 European Grand Prix. "It
feels like getting my job back. "With
the conditions so tough I knew I had to keep my cool and refused to worry about
the birdies not coming, just get on with it. "I
thought about Nick Faldo winning the 1987 British Open with 18 pars in the fog
but then I promptly made my only bogey." Scahill
had to settle for his biggest cheque of £33,330 "It
was difficult to get myself psyched up after the long delay," he said. "I
was disappointed I couldn't finish the job off but if someone had said on the
first day I'd be second and shoot a 61 I'd have been happy." | 
