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by Graeme Storm
FOUR years ago Graeme Storm was working in a cake factory cleaning trays for £145 a week.

Yesterday he earned £450,000 with a stunning success in the French Open near Paris.

The victory capped a stunning revival in the fortunes of the 29-year-old from Hartlepool, who won the British amateur title in 1999 but then lost his way.

It was certainly no cakewalk for the world No. 205, who was rated a 100-1 chance at the outset and was still backable at 40-1 before yesterday's final round.

But a brilliant 66 landed the spoils and prevented a number of more illustrious names, not least Colin Montgomerie, claiming the title. Monty traded at a shade of odds-on as he looked the likely winner down the stretch, but bogeys at the 15th and 16th kept his 19-month barren spell going and left himin a tie for third.
However, the man who used to hoover up these tournaments with regularity during his seven-year reign as the king of European golf, was not downcast. “I know now that if I putt well, I can win again,” he said.

Storm,whose form figures of MMM7 gave a hint that his game was coming together, won a place in the Open at Carnoustie, which starts on July 18.

Nick Dougherty, who finished 30th, is among those trying to qualify for the Open at Sunningdale today.

Racing Post