COLIN Montgomerie fears he may be forced to miss next month's Open at Muirfield because of his continuing back problem.

The 39-year-old Scot was troubled by a recurrence of the injury at the Irish Open and could now face several weeks out of action.

''There is a grave doubt over whether I can play the next three tournaments,'' Montgomerie said after carding a one-under-par 70 in the final round at Fota Island where he finished four shots off the leaders.

''I've been in trouble with the back for two-and-a-half rounds and now I'm going home to see whether I can play the next three weeks.

''I just can't get through the ball and to be just two-over for the last two rounds is a great effort.''

The Open gets under way at Muirfield in Scotland on July 18, and it will be an anxious wait to see if Montgomerie will be fit to take part.

Before Muirfield there is the Smurfit European Open at the K Club, Dublin, starting on Thursday, followed by the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, which begins a week later.

* Soren Hansen claimed his first ever victory on the European Tour when he won the Murphy's Irish Open at Fota Island at the fourth hole of a sudden death play-off.

Hansen, Darren Fichardt, Niclas Fasth and Richard Bland all finished on 14 under par with Fichardt and Bland carding rounds of 67 and Hansen and Fasth taking 68.

All four players parred the first extra hole, Bland bowed out at the second, when he could only manage a par five and after Hansen, Fichardt and Fasth all parred the next, the Dane produced a winning birdie two at the 17th.

* American Scott Kammann staged a blistering finish to steal victory in the Open des Volcans from under the nose of Belgian teenager Nicolas Colsaerts and Marcello Santi of Italy.

Kammann trailed Colsaerts by three strokes with three to play, but finished eagle-birdie-birdie for 67 to set the target at 270, 14 under par.

It was a mark the Europeans were unable to match over the Volcans course near Clermont Ferrand in France, Colsaerts signing for 71 and 271, while Santi finished a shot further back in third after a 69.

''I've never experienced a finish like that before,'' said Kammann after holing from 15 feet for eagle at the long 16th, then sinking birdie putts of ten and six feet at the two closing holes.

''I felt Nicolas would make a birdie over the last two holes to force a play-off but, fortunately for me, he didn't. This was only my second Challenge Tour event and I'm surprised to win.''

In a week when the British challenge never really caught fire, Michael Archer from Newcastle finished highest in joint sixth on 276 after a 69, while Somerset's John Morgan was a stroke further back after a 71.

Marcus Higley faded with a final 77 and finished equal 31st.