Jimenez holds his nerve in sudden death climax in Paris

The 46-year-old Spaniard captured the Alstom French Open at Le Golf National by beating compatriot Alejandro Canizares and Italian Francesco Molinari in sudden death after he had gone in the water when two clear.

Jimenez had his second chance when Canizares went twice into the same lake at the first extra hole and Molinari, bunkered off the tee, was forced to lay up on the par four.

Five months after beating Lee Westwood in a play-off in Dubai, Jimenez still had work to do when he missed the green, but a 15-footer gave him the crown after Molinari had holed from 18 feet for bogey.

The first prize of just under 409,000 lifts the pony-tailed Malaga golfer all the way from 17th to fifth in the Ryder Cup race – the same position Molinari would have taken if he had won.

Amazingly, 10 of Jimenez's 17th European Tour victories have come since he turned 40 – that is a record for the circuit – and he now becomes the eighth oldest champion in Tour history.

The compensation for Canizares, meanwhile, was that he qualifies for The Open at St Andrews as the leading non-exempt player in the event.

Earlier Jimenez came bursting out of the pack with five successive birdies in six holes from the 11th to be two clear. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy would have been in the play-off as well if he had converted a 12-foot chance at the 18th, but it stayed above the hole and he had to be content with fourth.

After signing for a 66 the 21-year-old, four behind at the start, said: "I gave it a good go. I hit the last putt exactly where I wanted, but it didn't come down.

"I can take a lot from this. I'm hitting it great and giving myself plenty of chances. I can't wait for The Open."

McIlroy was just a shot better off than Rotherham's Danny Willett, who finished fifth after rounds of 72 67 69 68.

Inevitably on a course which would provide spectacular action if it stages the 2018 Ryder Cup – that decision is made next April – there were calamities everywhere you looked.

Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen was tied for the lead when he put three balls in the water on the 399-yard 15th and ran up a sextuple bogey 10. Hull's Richard Finch finished on 281 – eight shots behind Jimenez – after rounds of 71 72 67 71.

Yorkshire top the Northern Counties League table after registering their third successive win at the weekend, a 10-8 triumph over Cheshire at Royal Liverpool.

They trailed 3.5-2.5 after the morning foursomes but wins from Scott Campbell (Hallowes), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire), James Maw (Hallowes), David Appleyard (South Leeds), Richard Law (Low Laithes), Sam Young (Rotherham) and Chris Halley (Malton and Norton) saw Yorkshire claim the afternoon singles.