O'Meara victory puts the wind up Langer's men

European golf was today facing a crisis of quality only six months before Bernhard Langer's team defend the Ryder Cup against the United States.

The worrying standard of Langer's leading golfers was exposed when Mark O'Meara, a 47-year-old American ranked 201st in the world, trounced the cream of the European crop in the Dubai Desert Classic.

No European is in the top 10 of the world rankings and only three are in the top 20. It is four years since a European, Lee Westwood, claimed the European Order of Merit and the last European to win one of golf 's four majors was Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie back in 1999.

Irishman Paul McGinley, beaten into second place by O'Meara's final round of 69 for a winning aggregate of 17 under par, said: "Mark was awesome. He played tough, competitive golf, and didn't give me an inch. At the end of it I felt like I had been in a boxing match."

LAURA DAVIES claimed her 66th career title when she romped to victory in the rain-delayed Women's Australian Open in Sydney. Davies led by three shots with six holes to play when fading light halted play overnight. She returned to the Concord course today to finish six shots clear of Australian Rachel Teske.

CRAIG PARRY played the shot of the year to win a play-off for the Ford Championship at Doral. The Australian holed a six-iron from 176 yards at the first extra hole to beat American Scott Verplank after they had tied on 271.