Golf: An end to Curry's winless 15 years

PAUL CURRY finally savoured success 15 years after turning professional when he won the Jersey Open at La Moye yesterday. The 33-year-old, who is based in Essex, enjoyed a superb final round of 63 to finish three shots ahead of Mark James on 266, 22 under par.

Iain Pyman was third on 271, a fine effort by last year's amateur champion from Leeds who was playing in only his second European Tour event.

Curry collected pounds 58,330 for his victory and said: 'Winning certainly beats accountancy.' This was a reference to an 18-month spell out of the game when Curry took an accountancy course.

On Friday, his back nine of 28 helped him equal the course record of 62 and on Saturday he followed up with an albatross when holing a 203-yard three-iron shot at the par five 16th. Yesterday, even lady luck was on his side. At the 14th, his ball landed in a women's holdall, but he was given a free drop and made par.

Then again, at the 16th his ball hit the television tower and he received another drop to chip to within three feet for a birdie, his eighth in a round that begun with a bogey yet included five birdies in a row and an eagle.

Pyman, who led at one stage of the final round, said: 'I didn't lose it, Paul won it. My goal is to earn enough money to get my card for next season and a third prize of pounds 21,910 helps me towards that.'

Meanwhile, from the 53-year-old Tommy Horton, the Royal Jersey professional, there was another demonstration that golf's golden oldies can still compete with the best. Horton recorded a final round of 67 to finish at 15 under for the tournament to tie for fourth place with Australia's Rodger Davis and the English pair of Peter Mitchell and Jim Payne.

JERSEY EUROPEAN AIRWAYS OPEN (La Moye) Final leading scores (GB and Ire unless stated): 266 P Curry 73 62 68 63. 269 M James 69 63 68 69. 271 I Pyman 66 67 68 70. 273 R Davis (Aus) 69 66 66 72; P Mitchell 70 68 66 69; J Payne 70 69 67 67; T Horton 71 65 70 67. 274 D Smyth 68 69 65 72. 275 A Oldcorn 66 66 70 73. 276 G Hjertstedt (Swe) 67 68 68 73; M Davis 68 67 71 70; A Murray 70 69 68 69. 277 R Rafferty 67 69 68 73; R Drummond 70 70 68 69. 278 S Field 68 68 70 72. 279 A Coltart 69 68 69 73; M Zerman (It) 70 68 70 71; M Sunesson (Swe) 71 66 72 70; M Roe 69 69 72 69; D Gilford 69 72 69 69; S Bottomley 74 68 70 67.

VOLVO EUROPEAN TOUR ORDER OF MERIT: 1 J- M Olazabal (Sp) pounds 241,402.04; 2 C Montgomerie pounds 193,741.25; 3 E Els (SA) pounds 188,230.00; 4 N Faldo pounds 180,730.00; 5 B Langer (Ger) pounds 169,975.42; 6 S Ballesteros (Sp) pounds 149,808.04; 7 M A Jimenez (Sp) pounds 148,637.89; 8 R Allenby (Aus) pounds 123,719.18; 9 D Gilford pounds 120,165.29; 10 P Hedblom (Swe) pounds 120,138.53.