SOUTHAMPTON'S Matthew Blackey suffered a dismal final day in the Daily Telegraph Damovo British Masters at the Forest of Arden.

The Hampshire man began the final round tied fourth after rounds of 70, 68 and 70.

But his hopes of a big cheque were dashed following a final round 78 - one of the worst of the day.

Had he remained in the top group, he could almost have ensured his card for next season.

As it was, Blackey ended tied 34th - well adrift of Mansfield's Greg Owen, who landed his first European Tour victory.

In the process Owen, above right, stopped Ian Poulter earning a place in the record books.

Poulter, runner-up to Hampshire's Justin Rose last year and winner of last week's Wales Open, was trying to become the first player in tour history to win after surviving the halfway cut with nothing to spare.

But Owen held his nerve, moving six strokes clear with four to play and then hitting back from a mini-slump to produce a clinching birdie at the long 17th.

"I couldn't have played the hole any better," said the 31-year-old, playing his 158th tour event.

He hit a drive and three-iron to 12 feet and even though he did not eagle it for the second day running two putts were good enough to end all his worries.

"I showed I can hang in there when I need to. I was always wondering and hopefully I can go on from here.

"To win in England in this event is a dream come true. Fantastic, just fantastic."

Poulter had given himself the chance of history with a course record-equalling third round of 63 and when he went to the turn in 33 he might have hoped to be closer than four behind.

But Owen matched that, also having a hat-trick of birdies, and when Poulter bogeyed both the 12th and 13th the gap was six and, barring a complete nightmare, the £250,000 title was his. The nightmare did not come.

Rose, the defending champion, only just made the cut but a final round 67 - his best of the tournament - saw him finish tied for 24th place after starting the day tied for 68th spot.

Yesterday's round will have boosted Rose's confidence ahead of this week's US Open, where he will be making his first-ever trip to Olympia Fields Country Club, Illinois.