In a day full of drama at the French Open on Sunday, Ian Poulter found his challenge for the title brought to a staggering halt with four holes to play before going on to fire a broadside at the organisers and vowing not to return next year.

The Englishman had started the final round six shots off the lead and by the turn had closed the gap to three, with birdies at the 3rd, 6th and 8th holes. But he was always having to push hard to make up the deficit and paid for his aggression - and the unwanted attention of a local photographer clicking away on his backswing - when he took on the pin at the 15th and found water instead.

And although he got back the shot at the 17th, his third birdie of the half, a bogey at the last represented a disappointing finish in a round of 67 that left him in third place, three shots behind Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood. “I won't be back next year,” Poulter said. “It's a shame because it's a fabulous tournament, but that's what happens when you let novices come in and ruin our livelihoods.

“We are playing for world ranking points and I want to move up as high as I can. It's just so annoying to let these people in who take shots time and time again. What are you going to do? You take the tournament off your schedule and you don't come and play golf. That's a shame.”

In the end the tournament came down to a battle of wills, two fabulously gifted golfers trading blow for blow, birdie for birdie in their quest to lift the trophy at Le Golf National. And at the finish it was Kaymer, of Germany, who was the last man standing, the victor at the first hole of sudden-death.

Both players found rough with their tee shots when taken back down the 18th, but it was the Englishman who compounded the error by finding water with his second shot, opening the door for Kaymer, who had chipped to within 18 feet with his third and subsequently holed the putt for a title-winning par.

How good it was to see Westwood back in the hunt once more. His last win on tour came at the British Masters in 2007, but some of his play has demanded better returns. It used to be said that when he sniffed victory, he was virtually unstoppable, as 29 titles worldwide would testify.

Westwood, who began the final day four shots off the lead of Rafa Echenique, of Argentina, and three behind Kaymer, had set his sights on a 65. And that is exactly what he achieved in setting a 13-under-par clubhouse target with a round that included seven birdies, three on the trot from the 11th, and a solitary bogey. But while he drew level with Kaymer at the 12th, he was never able to put any daylight between himself and the German, who finished with a 68 before going on to record his third victory on the European Tour.