Martin claims Dunhill glory

Spaniard Pablo Martin held his nerve to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship - the first stop on the 2010 Race to Dubai - by one stroke after carding a final round of 69.

The Spaniard, who made history two years ago after becoming the first amateur to win a European Tour event, secured his first victory as a professional after a measured closing round.

Playing partner Charl Schwartzel emerged as his closest challenger with the 2005 champion eventually finishing one stroke back on 16-under-par.

Dane Anders Hansen finished third on 14-under as a host of players came unstuck on the par-five 18th, amongst them Ernie Els who took a double-bogey seven on his way to a disappointing final round of 76 that left him some way off the pace on seven-under.

But Els' seven was still some way better than Welshman Sion Bebb managed as he ran up a catastrophic sextuple-bogey 11 that dropped him from fifth to 17th.

Martin posted a sensible par-five on the last which proved just good enough to hold off Schwartzel who closed with a birdie.

The Spaniard, ranked 488th in the world at the start of the tournament, was in the depths of despair about his game after missing the first seven cuts of this year, but he now ends 2009 on a real high and is now exempt until the end of 2012 - and over £143,000 richer.

The Malaga golfer had enjoyed only one top-10 finish since his historic triumph at the Portuguese Open, but improved that statistic in some style on Sunday.

Speaking after his triumph, Martin commented: ""It's an unbelievable feeling. I am so happy and there was so much emotion today.""

Martin looked to have matters in hand with a four-shot lead heading into the closing stretch, but Schwartzel cranked up the pressure with three consecutive birdies at 14, 15 and 16 as he closed to within one. (Source :Reuters)

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