NORTH Yorkshire golf star Simon Dyson finished the European season well in the money, but still ruing a miserable second round in the Volvo Masters.

But for his second-day seven-over 78 Dyson would have finished around mid-way in the 55-strong field at the Sotogrande Valderrama course rather than his eventual 49th spot.

However, the Malton and Norton GC player still managed to pull in a cheque for more than £13,000 after his final two rounds of 72 and an even-par 71 yesterday gave him a nine-over total of 293 (72 78 72 71).

His final round included an impressive five birdies, but again he suffered on three successive holes - seven, eight and nine - where he dropped four shots, including a double-bogey on eight, the fifth time in the tournament he posted a double-bogey.

Dyson, whose earnings for the year closed on a shade over £283,000, finished 58th in the European Order of Merit and 182nd in the world.

The Order of Merit was won for the eighth time by Colin Montgomerie, though the Scotsman had to yield to his Irish Ryder Cup team-mate Paul McGinley in the battle for the Volvo title.

Montgomerie was third as McGinley surged past on the final two days for a ten-under-par 274 (74 68 65 67) to finish two clear of Spain's Sergio Garcia and pick up the winner's cheque of £450,000.

Updated: 10:08 Monday, October 31, 2005