Levet’s victory dunk proves costly

Thomas Levet’s celebrations after his 25-year-long wait for victory in the Alstom French Open have proved costly.

Thomas Levet’s celebrations at Le Golf National after his 25-year-long wait for victory in the Alstom French Open have proved costly.

Levet, who edged England’s Mark Foster and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen by a shot in Paris on Sunday, saw the sheer joy of finally winning his own national open turn into bitter disappointment when it was later discovered that his wild victory leap into the greenside lake with his manager had caused him to suffer a small fracture of one of his shins.

The 42-year-old Frenchman’s injured leg has been put into a plaster cast and he has been forced to pull out of this week’s prestigious Barclay’s Scottish Open with the further possibility that he may also have to miss next week’s 140th Open Championship at the Royal St Georges Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent

Levet, who lost a five-hole play-off to Ernie Els in the 2002 Open at Muirfield, will now undergo intensive treatment and will consult a specialist later this week before making a decision as to whether he will to travel to Kent.