• Andalucia Masters, Round Four

Gritty Garcia completes back-to-back at Valderrama

Sergio Garcia was clearly delighted to finally win at Valderrama © Getty Images

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Sergio Garcia claimed his second successive victory on the European Tour with a one-shot triumph at the Andalucia Masters, thanks to a fine display of short-game skill over the closing holes.

Garcia - whose 11-shot victory last week at the Castello Masters was altogether more comfortable - needed to get up-and-down from a tricky spot short of the 18th green to deny Miguel Angel Jimenez at Valderrama, and did so with a nerveless three-foot putt after a chip shot of the highest quality.

It was the second win in as many weeks for the 31-year-old, having previously gone three years without a professional victory. His closing round of 71 ensured a six-under total, enough for victory and further points in a quest for a place at next year's Ryder Cup.

"The chip was just amazing, I thought it was going to go in!" Garcia, who has finished second on this course three times, said afterwards. "I've been in this situation three or four times on this course, so I knew it wasn't easy but I believed in my ability."

Having started the day with a two-shot lead, Garcia soon found his advantage eroded as he picked up bogeys at both the sixth and seventh - the result of a couple of imprecise approach shots that underlined the difficulty of the Sotogrande layout.

But he showed a real hunger for the fight and impressed with his shotmaking over the back nine, even if his play off the tee meant his work was cut out to avoid dropping shots. He played the par-five 11th in regulation fashion to pick up his first birdie of the day, and then added another crucial red number at the 14th after a delightful spinning approach shot enabled him to curl in a 15-footer that dropped right into the centre of the cup.

By this point he had a three-shot lead over Jimenez, but that was reduced to one after his compatriot put his approach close at the 15th and holed the putt. The man known as 'The Mechanic' followed that with an even more spectacular second shot at the par-five 17th, hitting a fairway wood that carried the slope towards the water by a matter of inches, setting up a 10-foot eagle putt that would give him a share of the lead.

Unfortunately that would slide by and, after he left a similar length putt for birdie at the last agonisingly short, Garcia knew he had a shot's lead to protect over the closing holes.

Garcia didn't make it easy for himself, however, as he found the bunker off the tee at the 17th and then the deep rough with his lay-up. But a safe pitch into the green set up a three-foot par save and, when he repeated the trick at the last, he was able to celebrate an emotional triumph.

"I can't find the words," he added. "Miguel fought so hard and I think he had some good chances coming in. I wasn't feeling as good as the last 13 days, but we hung on and pulled through."

When asked if he doubted he'd ever be back winning again, he added: "I did. You can ask Luke Donald about it. We had a really tough conversation in Madrid two years ago, so I'm just happy to be able to ... obviously the wins are great but the year has been really positive and that's what I'm excited about."

Jimenez at least had some consolation to fall back on, however, as his performance all-but ensures his place alongside Garcia in the top 15 on the Race to Dubai rankings - and the share of a special prize fund that comes with it.

Scot Richie Ramsay was also in contention for much of the day, but ultimately paid the price for a horrendous shank on the tee at the par-three 15th.

Just a single shot behind Garcia at that point, Ramsay watched in horror as his ball came off the hosel and flew low and to the right at the short hole, into thick rough. The 2006 US Amateur champion searched for the ball but was unable to find it inside the five-minute limit - whereupon he then stumbled across it while walking up to the green to play his provisional.

He eventually made a double bogey which put paid to his chances, with an eventual round of 71 after a birdie at the last still ensuring he finished third on his own.

Irishman Shane Lowry had a marvellous final round of 67 to thank as he shot up into the top five, after making five birdies and just one bogey during a round that could have been even better had he not missed a makeable birdie putt at the 17th.

Steve Webster was another who had briefly harboured realistic hopes of victory, as he pulled level with Garcia in the early stages after reaching four-under for his round and four-under overall. But two bogeys in the final three holes saw him slip back, eventually finishing two-under for the tournament after a closing round of 69.

Gregory Havret (68) finished one-under, with Alejandro Canizares (70) and Christian Nilsson (75) the only other players to match or beat par at the course dubbed the 'Augusta of Europe' - with the Swede doing well to salvage a respectable score after crumbling early in the final pairing.

Stephen Dodd, Peter Hanson and Francesco Molinari completed the top ten, while Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell finished seven-over and 25-over respectively.

McDowell will be particularly disappointed, having followed Saturday's 81 with an equally unimpressive 82 to sit dead last of those who managed to make the halfway cut.

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