NORTH Yorkshire's golfing star Simon Dyson has that top of the world feeling Down Under today.

While South Africa's irrepressible Retief Goosen stepped thunderously to the Johnnie Walker Classic crown Dyson finished joint fifth.

Together with Anthony Wall the Malton and Norton Golf Club ace was the best-placed Briton in of a star-studded field that Goosen decimated to maintain the electric form that steered him to the US Masters title last season as well as heading the European Order of Merit.

Dyson finished the last day with an even par 72 to give him a one-under-par competition total of 287 that nudged him well up the cash prize list.

It extended the heartening form the 23-year-old has shown after the opening three events of this season.

However, it was Goosen, who was the star of the show at the Lake Karrinyup club in the Australian city of Perth.

He won by a massive eight-shot margin after opening the final day with a European tour record 13-stroke lead. To lose he needed to have about ten horror holes rather than just one.

It never happened and even with a closing 73 Goosen could look back on the biggest victory of his career.

He took the £150,000 first prize with a 14-under-par total of 274 and, as everybody anticipated, the only real battle was for the runners-up place.

Ryder Cup Swede Pierre Fulke took it with a 35-foot closing putt for a best-of-the-day 66 which pushed Sergio Garcia into third place and Ernie Els into fourth.

"I agree with Greg Norman when he said he'd rather have a two-shot lead than a much bigger one entering the final round," commented Goosen.

"There's so much pressure on you when you are expected to win. It's a funny feeling and it's very difficult.

"I was just trying to hang in there, telling myself to stay calm and focused and I only started relaxing after the 17th."

Runner-up Fulke's performance was easily his best since he reached the final of the Accenture world match play 12 months ago - also in Australia.

"Obviously I was playing for second place, but I hadn't touched a club for nine weeks, so it's a good effort," he said.

"I wanted to forget about last year, regroup and start all over again. I'm not frustrated like I was - I'm fresh and clear in my mind."

Dyson and Londoner Wall shared fifth place on one under, while 19-year-old Liverpudlian Nick Dougherty was joint eighth and his mentor Faldo only a stroke further back in tenth.

Justin Rose, who pushed Goosen into second place in South Africa last week, managed only a closing 74 to drop to 17th, however, and Lee Westwood double-bogeyed the last for a second successive 76 and 58th place on ten over.

Updated: 12:01 Monday, January 28, 2002