ONE dropped shot made all the difference to south coast golfers Richard Bland and Gary Emerson in the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House Golf Club.

Salisbury golfer Emerson recorded rounds of 76 and 73 for a halfway total of 149, which missed the cut by an agonising one shot.

Southampton golfer Bland matched Emerson's first round with a 76 but his second-round level par 72 made all the difference.

It qualified him for the final two rounds - and he made the most of it with a brilliant third-round 69 in difficult blustery conditions over a course that tested the best on the European Tour.

Bland recorded five birdies and, but for a double-bogey at the 210-yard par three 12th, would have been right up with the leaders.

Because of the high winds and rain, play on Sunday was suspended and completed yesterday when Bland finished his fourth round with a two-over-par 74. But that was still good enough for a share of 19th place and a very healthy early-season cheque.

Thomas Bjorn won the tournament with a birdie on the final hole. He holed out from eight feet after Darren Clarke and Paul Casey missed chances on the par-five 18th as the £1.5m tournament was finally completed on the fifth day's play. The Dane carded a final-round 72 for a five-under-par total of 283, one shot clear of Casey

Hampshire's Justin Rose followed two opening under-par rounds with a pair of one-over-par scores of 71 in the the Bank of American Colonial tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.

It left Rose well down the field of an event won by American Tim Herron, who ended seven years without a victory with a play-off win over Sweden's Richard Johnson.