Golf: Turner takes rest despite return to form in French Open

Greg Turner intends sticking with a decision to bypass a lucrative event in England despite finishing joint runner-up in the French Open golf tournament yesterday.

Turner captured his second bridesmaid role in the tournament in two years, coming home two strokes behind Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal.

Olazabal heads to his defence of this week's Benson and Hedges International Open at the Belfry, near Birmingham, in the best manner possible, after a 12-under triumph on a saturated Lyon course.

Italy's Costantino Rocca, England's Paul Eales and Turner shared second place at 10-under.

The New Zealander won just over $200,000 with rounds of 69, 67, 67 and 67.

Turner joined Olazabal and Rocca in the lead when he birdied the 15th, but the Dunedin golfer then snap-hooked his drive into trees off the troublesome 16th, taking an eventual double bogey to drop out of contention at eight under.

However, Turner, who lost a playoff in the same event in Bordeaux two years ago, finished in style, spectacularly eagling the 18th.

Persistent rain throughout the opening three days forced officials to play the final 36 holes yesterday, and Turner started the day six strokes behind the lead.

He eased towards a possible fifth European Tour win with five birdies and two bogeys in his third round.

After lunch, Turner steadily inched his way to a share of the lead - a birdie on the 15th tied his score with Olazabal at 10-under.

But the double bogey at the par-four 16th dropped the 38-year-old back to eight under before his glorious eagle.

Turner split the fairway with his drive on the 18th, landed his second shot 15 feet from the hole with his five wood, then putted the eagle.

"It was always going to be a tough assignment for me after what happened at 16," Turner said.

"But I gave Ollie something to think about with that eagle at the last.

"It wasn't meant to be though. I can't complain because the French Open has been a good tournament for me in recent years.

It was only Turner's second week back after a long break and he said he did not raise his expectations.

"I'm pleased with the result.

"The fact that I managed to play all four rounds last week in Portugal really stood me in good stead."

Turner's effort, a week after battling a niggling back injury to finish 27th in the Portuguese Open, will not attract him to England this week for the first big showdown of the new European Tour season - the Benson and Hedges International Open.

The tournament will feature the likes of Olazabal (who scored 66, 69, 66 and 67 in Lyon), Michael Campbell, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie.

"I had thought about playing at the Belfry, but it would be better to give my back a rest," Turner said.

"Besides, the Befry hasn't always been one of my favourite venues, so I will sit out this week and get myself ready for the Volvo PGA the week after.

"The upcoming five weeks all are lucrative tournaments and I feel it's better I take this week off and then pour everything into the four after that."

Elliot Boult, the only other New Zealander to make it through to the final two rounds in France, ended well down the field with a four-over total.

Meanwhile, Phil Tataurangi could still smile after self-inflicted wounds cost him a chance of victory in the United States.

Tataurangi hit the lead six holes into the final round of the Carolina Classic, on the second-tier Buy.com Tour, before his challenge was beached at the Tournament Players Club in Raleigh.

Tataurangi, 29, posted birdies at the first and fifth holes to overcome a three-shot overnight deficit and pass a faltering third-round leader John Maginnes.

But then the wheels fell off for the Taupo professional, who struck disaster in two greenside bunkers.

He dropped five strokes in three holes and slipped to third after a closing round of 71.

American Maginnes went on to win after posting 70 for a four-round card of 269, two clear of Japan's Ryuji Imada, with Tataurangi another two shots down the leaderboard.

Tataurangi made $US30,600 ($73,417) for his efforts, but of more value to him was the confidence gleaned from placing himself in contention on the final day.

It followed his share of 12th place in the US PGA Tour's Greater Greensboro Classic last month, his first appearance this year on the world's toughest tour.

"It's definitely been very encouraging," he said yesterday after finishing on 11-under 273 following rounds of 68, 66, 68, 71.

Tataurangi's next assignment is qualifying for the Byron Nelson Classic PGA tournament in his home city of Dallas, which starts on Friday.

Should he qualify he will be helped in the Classic by his coach John Griffin, who left his Queenstown base on Sunday to spend three weeks with Tataurangi.

In Turkey, New Zealander Barry Vivian finished third in the Beko Seniors Classic, his first outing on the European Seniors Tour.

Vivian, 51 this week, ended up in a four-way tie for third, two shots adrift of Australian winner Noel Ratcliffe.

Vivian had a three-round total of 211, ending the tournament with a two-under 70.

Australian Terry Gale took second with 210.

Winner of the 1979 Australian Masters, Vivian played his way on to the tour at the 2000 qualifying school, where he was second to American Jay Dolan.

Compatriot Simon Owen, who won the 1974 German Open and 1976 New Zealand Open and was runner-up in the 1978 British Open, used the tournament to make his first appearance on the senior tour.

Owen, 50, finished in a tie for 24th, after rounds of 72, 73 and 71.

- AGENCIES