Justin Rose achieved his highest finish of the year on the European Tour when he grabbed a share of third place in the French Open last night.

The 22-year-old from Fleet held the clubhouse lead for close on two hours before David Howell then Philip Golding went past him.

Golding, who has had to go back to Tour School 16 times in a long, tortuous career, eventually took the title when he rolled in the simplest of birdie putts on the 18th at Le Golf National in Paris.

It lifted the 40-year-old Sussex player to 15 under par, one ahead of Howell, with Rose and Australia's Peter O'Malley a shot further back.

Rose literally came from nowhere to take the lead on the last day. The four-times winner last year had fallen back into the pack on Saturday with disappointing 73 after he had been in a strong position at halfway.

But the Hampshire youngster is no quitter, and he surged back with seven birdies in a round of 65 - seven under par. It could have been even better because Rose had a 12-foot eagle chance at the par five 14th. He ended up three-putting for a par five.

And believing that 14 under would give him realistic hope of least forcing a play-off, he went boldly after an eagle at the 521-yard finishing hole. He had a 15-footer for a three but left the ball a foot short.

But after fifth place in the US Open last time out and now third, which lifts him up to seventh in the European order of merit, Rose is running into top form again with the British Open now less than a month away.

For a man who has had the rough end of fortune in a long, unrewarding career, Golding showed superb composure all the way around. He began the day leading at 11 under and hardly ever wavered.

A bogey at the short 16th where he almost put a chip shot in the water, might have unnerved him but not so.

Golding, never higher than sixth in any of his previous 200 events and 411th in the world, parred the tough 17th and made the big carry over the water to set up an eagle chance at the last which he narrowly missed.

But he had the luxury of a putt of less than two feet for the title and gobbled it up for the first prize of over £290,000, as much as he's made in his last ten years on the European Tour.