A WRETCHED third day undid North Yorkshire golf star Simon Dyson's bid for top honours in the Dunhill Championship at Johannesburg's Houghton Golf Club.

Malton and Norton Golf Club player Dyson finished with a nine-under-279, 11 shots behind winner Justin Rose, who gained his first victory on the European Tour.

Dyson would have been well in contention had he been able to match the brilliance of his second and final rounds in which he respectively shot a seven-under 65 and a four-under 68.

But a penultimate round of 73, matching his score on the opening day, ensured that he was unable to repeat his impressive start to the tour when he finished in the South African Open a week earlier.

Rose banished memories of his nightmare start to the professional ranks with a brilliant win. Runner-up last year to Australian Adam Scott, Rose went one better by carding a final-round 65 to finish two shots ahead of England's Mark Foster and South African pair Retief Goosen and Martin Maritz, who shared second place.

Londoner Anthony Wall, winner in 2000, Ireland's Paul McGinley and Welshman Mark Mouland all shared fifth place a shot further back.

Rose shot to fame by finishing fourth in the Open at Royal Birkdale as a 17-year-old amateur, but then missed his first 22 cuts after turning professional the next day.

Updated: 12:10 Monday, January 21, 2002