Hansen hopes for Open ticket

Denmark's Soren Hansen is hoping for a double celebration in Dublin on Sunday night - not just his first win for five years, but also a happy ending to a self-imposed "nightmare".

Hansen and his manager forgot to send in an entry form for the Open Championship the week after next, but capturing the £400,000 first prize in the European Open at the K Club will have the added bonus of qualifying him for Carnoustie.

"I feel embarrassed about it," said Hansen, who after a joint best-of-the-week 63 completed with three successive birdies is 10 under par and two ahead of England's Robert Rock.

Hansen's chances were given three massive boosts right at the end of the third round.

First long-time leader Pelle Edberg had two double bogeys, then Colin Montgomerie bogeyed the last two holes and finally Niclas Fasth, fourth in the US Open and winner of the BMW International Open in Munich in his last start just two weeks ago, also bogeyed the 18th.

As a result Fasth fell into a tie for fourth, Montgomerie into joint seventh with his one over par 71 and Edberg to 14th.

Just a week ago Hansen, whose one previous victory came at the 2002 Irish Open at Fota Island near Cork, led the French Open with a round to play as well.

The final day did not go as he wanted then. He double-bogeyed two of the first six holes and while he did battle back to second place it was winner Graeme Storm who took not only the trophy, but also the Open spot on offer then.

Consequently, he came to Ireland still red-faced about his blunder.

"Please don't write too much," he pleaded with reporters. "I didn't know about the rules, but I just hope this week or next week will see me through. I really like Carnoustie and I've had success in the Open too."