Golf: Torrance takes the extra pressure in his stride: Scot recovers his putting touch to fend off three-pronged threat to his Ryder Cup progress

SAM TORRANCE continued his successful run yesterday when he collected his fourth tournament victory in 12 weeks by sinking a 30-foot birdie putt to win a four-way play-off at the Honda Open in Hamburg.

The overnight leader, hindered by hay fever and a heavy cold, had the agony prolonged by Ian Woosnam, Paul Broadhurst and Johan Rystrom, who caught him over the final round. But he kept his nerve at the first extra hole to add to his victories on the European Tour in Italy and Spain, and in the Scottish Championship, to move up to sixth in the Ryder Cup table.

Yet despite his victories, Torrance is not eligible to play in the US Open next week, nor is he exempt for next month's British Open at Sandwich.

Torrance began the last day leading Rystrom by one shot and Woosnam by two, with Broadhurst a further three shots adrift, but he three-putted the fourth and 12th holes, had only two birdies on his card. He came to the last hole needing a four for a 73 for a 10-under-par total of 278.

Broadhurst, with a 68, and Woosnam, 71, were already in the clubhouse on that mark when Rystrom and Torrance came up the final fairway. Rystrom, who has missed the cut in his last six tournaments, was leading the field by one shot at 11 under and needed a par four for his first European Tour victory. But the Swede sliced his drive into the rough, mis- hit his second and finished with a bogey five.

At the first extra hole Torrance and Woosnam hit the green in two but Rystrom again found the rough and Broadhurst hit the bunker with his second shot. Woosnam went for the pin from 35 feet but left the ball six feet past before Torrance holed his 30- footer.

HONDA OPEN (Hamburg) Leading final scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 278 S Torrance 68 69 68 73; I Woosnam 67 72 68 71; P Broadhurst 71 68 71 68; J Rystrom (Swe) 69 66 71 72 (Torrance won at first extra hole). 279 J Haeggman (Swe) 71 71 71 66; B Langer (Ger) 69 68 72 70. 280 I Palmer (SA) 67 72 72 69; M Lanner (Swe) 71 72 68 69; J Spence 70 66 73 71. 281 M A Jimenez (Sp) 69 69 74 69; E Els (SA) 66 73 70 72. 282 J Payne 74 65 73 70; C Williams 71 72 69 70; M McLean 72 71 70 69; R Rafferty 71 67 72 72. 283 W Westner (SA) 73 70 73 67; G Brand Jnr 70 70 73 70; D Hospital (Sp) 70 73 70 70; T Levet (Fr) 68 69 74 72; S Grappasonni (It) 71 69 71 72. 284 A Hare 70 67 77 70; M Krantz (Swe) 74 67 73 70; J Robinson 70 68 74 72; O Karlsson (Swe) 78 65 70 71; A Gillner (Swe) 70 64 76 74. 285 J McHenry 69 66 79 71; D Feherty 69 74 72 70; S Tinning (Den) 71 71 75 68; C Cassells 69 71 74 71; G Evans 69 68 76 72; P McGinley 71 67 73 74; R Drummond 75 67 69 74; R Claydon 70 72 69 74; A Lyle 68 72 70 75. 286 R Chapman 68 68 82 68; K Waters 68 71 78 69; B Marchbank 70 71 75 70; P Mayo 70 73 73 70; P Eales 70 73 73 70; R Davis (Aus) 69 73 73 71; A Oldcorn 73 68 73 72; D Clarke 72 71 69 74; S Bennett 71 69 71 75. 287 O Sellberg (Swe) 68 74 78 67; G Orr 68 72 77 70; S Little 71 72 73 71; J Robson 73 70 72 72.