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Crans-sur-Sierre - Thomas Bjorn secured back-to-back titles for the first time in his career, shooting a 9-under 62 on Sunday to win the European Masters.
Bjorn made nine birdies and an eagle in a blistering final round to finish with a 20-under total of 264, four shots clear of Germany's Martin Kaymer, to earn the €333,333 winner's prize.
The victory comes a week after the 40-year-old Dane won a five-man playoff at Gleneagles, Scotland, and is his third title of the year. Prior to 2011, he had not won two titles in one year on the European Tour since 1998.
The fifth-ranked Kaymer began his round in an even more furious pace, with two eagles on his first five holes followed by birdies on Nos 7 and 8. But he finished his round with 10 straight pars for a 65.
Rory McIlroy shot 68 to finish tied for third at 15-under with Jaco van Zyl of South Africa and overnight leader Jamie Donaldson of Wales.
Bjorn, a non-playing vice captain for Europe's victorious Ryder Cup last year, also took the early lead in the qualification race to defend the trophy in the United States next year.
McIlroy had said on Saturday that it was possible to shoot 62 and win the tournament - and Bjorn proved him right.
The Danish veteran could even afford two bogeys at the fourth and 12th holes. He followed up the first one by making four straight birdies, and added another at the 11th.
After his second bogey he looked in trouble again when his second shot at the par-5 14th landed in deep rough beyond the green-side lake. But Bjorn Bjorn got down in two for a birdie and then sank a 12-footer for eagle at the par-5 15th.
Already clear of the field, Bjorn buried two more eight-feet putts at the closing par-4s to shoot the lowest score of the week in the thin Alpine air.
Kaymer was four off the lead overnight and started his charge early. He eagled the par-5 first and added another at the fifth, finally taming a par-4 he had described as "easy" all week.
The 2010 US PGA champion then birdied the seventh and par-3 eighth to take the outright lead.
However, Kaymer's challenge stalled as the former top-ranked player failed to make a birdie after the turn.
McIlroy birdied the first two holes to share the lead at 14-under, sinking a 25-footer at the second before his putter went cold.
He three-putted at the 339-yard (310-metre) fifth after driving beyond the pin and let mid-range chances slip at the seventh, ninth and 11th.
McIlroy threatened to contend with birdies at the back-to-back par-5s but Bjorn soon raced clear.
Leading final round scores from the European Masters at the par-71 course on Sunday:
264 Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 68 68 66 62 268 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 65 70 68 65 269 Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa) 67 68 70 64
Rory McIlroy (Britain) 65 69 67 68
Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 68 66 65 70 270 Fredrik Andersson Hed (Sweden) 70 70 66 64
David Lynn (Britain) 68 68 69 65
Lee Westwood (Britain) 67 69 64 70 271 Alejandro Canizares (Spain) 66 71 70 64
Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 70 68 67 66
Alexander Noren (Sweden) 69 67 68 67 272 Marcel Siem (Germany) 72 67 68 65
Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 69 68 68 67
Keith Horne (South Africa) 71 67 65 69 273 Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 70 68 69 66 274 Simon Dyson (Britain) 66 68 74 66
Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 70 66 69 69 275 Mohammad Siddikur (Bangladesh) 69 70 69 67
Matteo Manassero (Italy) 70 66 71 68
Francesco Molinari (Italy) 70 69 67 69
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 70 68 66 71
Damian Ulrich (Switzerland) 69 67 67 72
Soren Hansen (Denmark) 71 66 66 72
Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 70 66 67 72 276 Felipe Aguilar (Chile) 70 70 68 68
George Coetzee (South Africa) 72 66 69 69
Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 67 71 68 70
Peter Hanson (Sweden) 68 72 72 64
Danny Willett (Britain) 71 64 68 73
Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 71 68 74 63
Gary Boyd (Britain) 65 69 68 74
