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Madrid - Britain's Lee Slattery clinched his first European Tour title with a one-stroke win over Italy's Lorenzo Gagli in the Madrid Masters.
Weary world number one Luke Donald trailed in seven shots behind Englishman Slattery, who closed with a one-under 71 and a 15-under total of 273.
It proved a nail-biting success for former shop assistant Slattery who secured the $223,000 first prize.
Leading by three strokes going to the last, he sent his third shot into the lake at El Encin's 18th and needed to ensure he took only two putts for a double-bogey to deny Gagli a playoff.
Slattery led by two shots overnight but looked to have blown his chances when he bogeyed two of the first five holes, conceding his lead first to veteran Argentine Cesar Monasterion and then tour rookie Gagli.
Then the 33-year-old Englishman, in his sixth year on tour and looking to improve on two runner-up finishes, came alight with four birdies in five holes from the 11th.
It looked as though Slattery, playing alongside the persistent Gagli, would coast home before his nervous finale.
The winner admitted he could hardly hold the putter before sinking the winning putt.
"No psychologist can prepare you for that," Slattery told reporters. "It's a life-changing experience after all."
The road to his first victory has been an arduous one, he revealed.
"I was struggling with no money in the bank after I contracted glandular fever and had to stop playing, so I took a job in a men's clothing store," he said. "It helped me because I told myself I never wanted to do that kind of job again."
After starting the final round six strokes off the lead, Donald had halved that margin by the turn, but then his challenge unravelled. He missed two relatively straightforward putts and found water on the short 16th to double-bogey on the way to a round of 72.
"The 16th was a consequence of pressing too hard but I was lacking in a bit of energy," Donald said.
"I drove the ball as well as I have for a few years this week and should have had a better result, but I didn't putt well, something I'll be working on. Great putters always putt great."
His 11th place at least extended his Race to Dubai lead. Now he will wait to see if his PGA Tour rival Webb Simpson plays the remaining two tournaments in America. If so, U.S. money-list leader Donald will also extend his American schedule to continue his bid to become the first to win the orders of merit on both sides of the Atlantic in the same season.
Monasterio, 47, lost his victory chance with three bogeys in the last six holes and shared third place on 12 under with Spain's Eduardo De La Riva.
Final leaderboard:
273 - Lee Slattery 67-66-69-71
274 - Lorenzo Gagli (ITA) 65-70-69-70
276 - Eduardo De La Riva (ESP) 67-67-72-70, Cesar Monasterio (ARG) 68-70-67-71
278 - Thomas Aiken (RSA) 71-69-67-71
279 - Francesco Molinari (ITA) 67-67-71-74, Peter Hanson (SWE) 67-72-72-68, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 69-72-67-71, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (ESP) 65-75-68-71, Oscar Floren (SWE) 69-69-67-74
280 - Richard McEvoy 69-71-69-71, Luke Donald 68-70-70-72, Tano Goya (ARG) 67-70-72-71
281 - Brett Rumford (AUS) 65-71-68-77, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 70-72-69-70
282 - Carlos Rodiles (ESP) 70-68-72-72, Pedro Oriol (ESP) 71-71-69-71
283 - George Murray 69-74-71-69, Oliver Wilson 68-69-74-72, Jaco Van Zyl (RSA) 70-71-71-71, Carl Suneson (ESP) 70-73-70-70, Marc Warren 72-68-72-71, Tim Sluiter (NED) 71-70-69-73, Alejandro Canizares (ESP) 73-69-69-72, Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 66-73-70-74, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 70-71-69-73, Bradley Dredge 67-73-70-73
284 - Paul McGinley 72-70-70-72, Florian Fritsch (GER) 71-72-69-72
Selected
285 - George Coetzee (RSA) 73-70-70-72
287 - Anthony Kang (USA) 69-73-70-75, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 71-71-71-74
289 - Matteo Manassero (ITA) 71-70-73-75, Jason Knutzon (USA) 70-68-73-78
290 - Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 75-68-74-73, Matthew Zions (AUS) 70-72-73-75
291 - Paul Lawrie 72-71-74-74
