• Wales Open, Round Four

Noren holds nerve to clinch victory in Wales

Alexander Noren clinched victory in Wales © Getty Images

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Alexander Noren clinched his second victory on the European Tour after a composed final round performance in the Wales Open.

The Swede came into the final hole with a two-shot advantage, and made sure to play safe as he two-putted from 35-feet for a par that gave him a two-shot victory over Anders Hansen and Gregory Bourdy.

"My driving has been the best it's ever been," Noren said afterwards. "I never really believed I could do well on tough courses, but now we play them all the time.

"I've proved to myself I can hit a lot of greens and not just rely on my short game."

Noren started the day with a slender advantage at Celtic Manor, but saw his immediate rivals Hansen and Peter Hanson drop shots over the opening holes to give him some early breathing space.

In contrast, eight pars and a birdie on the fourth set Noren off to a solid start over the front nine, with another birdie on the 12th moving him to ten-under - four shots clear of the field with the same number of holes remaining.

A water-assisted bogey on the 15th threatened to make things interesting - especially as Frenchman Gregory Bourdy birdied the last to move into second on his own at seven-under, before Hansen soon joined him - but the 28-year-old held his nerve over the closing holes to secure victory at nine-under, after a final round 70.

It was his second victory on the European Tour, after winning the European Masters in Switzerland in 2009.

Bourdy finished in a tie with Hansen for second after a round of 67, edging out Pablo Larrazabal and Ricardo Gonzalez who both held the clubhouse lead at six-under for much of the day after matching 67s.

Hanson and Johan Edfors later joined them at the same mark.

Further down the field, Elliot Saltman - having made only his second cut since returning to the Tour following a suspension for alleged incorrect ball-marking last season - grabbed attention of a more positive nature after grabbing his second hole-in-one of the weekend, on the very same hole he had his first.

The Scot replicated Thursday's perfect shot on the 17th during his final round on Sunday, a slice of fortune that helped him to a two-under round of 69 and a three-under total that left him only just outside the top ten.

"I'm just overwhelmed with it - amazing," said Saltman. "I hit a great seven-iron, it bounced once and in she pops. I'm so excited."

After yesterday's horror-show of 81 - his worst round since turning professional - Graeme McDowell salvaged some pride with a respectable closing round of 71.

Last year's winner made three birdies around the turn to make some forward progress, but two bogeys in the final four holes ensured he finished at three-over for the tournament.

The Twenty Ten course had clearly not lost its edge on the final day, however, as Victor Dubuisson undid much of the good work of a positive week for the 21-year-old Frenchman with a round of 80 (including a triple-bogey eight on the last) that he will be desperate to forget.

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