Briton Rock breaks tour duck in 209th event

Wins Italian Open by one shot

TURIN, Italy, June 12 (Reuters) €" Britain's Robert Rockcredited improved putting after reading tips from a coachingmanual as he ended a nine-year wait and 209 events for aEuropean Tour victory by winning the Italian Open on Sunday.

A closing five-under 67 packed with seven birdies around theturn, for a 21-under 267 total, left the 34-year-old Englishmana stroke better than Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and fellowBriton Gary Boyd.

€My putting had been letting me down so when I read the bookI decided to use some of the tips in it,€ said formerteaching-pro Rock, who flirted with a maiden victory last yearbefore losing a playoff to amateur Shane Lowry in the IrishOpen.

€And it's helped me considerably.€

The Dane set the target of 20-under by ramming home a 30ftbirdie putt on the last for a round of 62 and Rock slipped fourshots behind him with a bogey on the third in a nervy start.

But Rock then got to grips with his task and a sixth birdiein seven holes from the fifth finally put him back on top of theleaderboard on his own at the 11th.

He then dropped his second shot of the day but quicklyrepaired that damage with a birdie at 13.

Rock's 15-footer to save par on the 17th after driving deepin trees proved to be just as important as any of his birdies.

€That putt on the 17th took a huge amount of pressure off,€he said.

Boyd's 66 also took him to 20-under but a solid par on the18th ensured Rock broke his tour duck.

Italian teenager Matteo Manassero found himself too much todo to achieve his dream of winning his home open 13 months afterturning professional at the tournament. Manassero's 68 left himfive shots adrift of Rock.

Like the winner, 18-year-old Manassero makes his U.S. Opendebut next week.

The 39-year-old Frazar, in his 355th career start, matchedpars with Karlsson on the first two playoff holes and thenparred the par-four 12th, which gave him victory when the Swedechipped 12 feet past the hole from greenside rough and failedto make the par putt.

€I never thought this would happen,€ Frazar said in a TVinterview after his breakthrough win. €The last few years havebeen long and tough.€

€It's been tough on me physically, emotionally. I wasn'tsure this would ever happen, but I'm very proud.€

Frazar, who had considered quitting the tour, battled backfrom season-ending hip surgery last August and missed fivesuccessive cuts this year before regaining his form.

While the American finally tasted victory after four careersecond-place finishes on tour, Karlsson fell agonisingly shortonce again at TPC Southwind.

Karlsson, aiming for his first U.S. Tour win after 11European Tour victories, also lost here last year in afour-hole playoff to Briton Lee Westwood.

Frazar and Harrison both finished the regulation 72 holestied on 13-under-par 267 after Karlsson shot two-under-par 68in the final round, and Frazar posted 67 after making a bogeyat the 72nd hole after finding water with his approach.

Tied for third place on eight-under-par 272 were CamiloVillegas of Colombia (64), Japan's Ryuji Imada (66), AmericanCharles Howell III (66) and twice U.S. Open winner RetiefGoosen of South Africa (69).