Golf:Swede Peter Hanson grabbed the best win of his career in Shanghai this morning, when beating Rory McIlroy and nine other Ryder Cup team-mates to become the BMW Masters champion. One ahead of McIlroy overnight, the 35-year-old's sixth Tour win came by the same slender margin after both shot closing rounds of 67.

A thrilling finish was in prospect when McIlroy eagled the 15th, birdied the next to narrow the gap to two and then saw Hanson find sand at the short 16th.

The world number 25 saved par from 15 feet, but still had a scary moment when his approach to the last came down in the bank of a bunker. After being refused relief for a plugged lie, he did well to chip to 10 feet and two putts for bogey were good enough after McIlroy had just missed his 15-foot birdie attempt from the back fringe.

Luke Donald and Ian Poulter, two more of Europe’s side in Chicago last month, finished third and fourth, while Ireland Shane Lowry, fresh from his first professional win in Porugal, was fifth after a 68 saw him finish on 15 under par.

Ireland's Michael Hoey and Graeme McDowell were both tied for 11th on 13 under after a 70 and 69 respectively.

By claiming a first prize of over €909,000 he has also given himself a chance to deny McIlroy the same European and PGA Tour money list double achieved by Donald last season.

With four more weeks to go he leaps from seventh to second in the standings, and although the Northern Irishman’s runner-up finish means he still has a lead of more than €503,000, the winner’s cheque is more than that in this week’s World Championship event at Mission Hills in Shenzhen — and McIlroy is not playing.

“I’m going to try to keep this form going,” Hanson said after a closing bogey gave him a one-stroke victory on a smoggy day when both of the front two shot five-under-par rounds of 67.

He was five clear after a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th, but McIlroy also made four on the long 13th, eagled the 15th from 18 feet — Hanson birdied — and then cut the difference to two with a five-foot putt at the next.

World number 25 Hanson’s par save from 15 feet preserved the gap, but there was still a possibility of a play-off when Hanson’s approach to the 471-yard last came down in rough above a bunker.

He thought he might be entitled to a free drop because of a plugged lie, but was refused it and after doing well to chip to 10 feet he breathed a sigh of relief when McIlroy’s 15-foot birdie attempt just missed.

That left Hanson with two putts for his sixth European Tour win — the last came with a closing eagle in Holland last month — and he took them.

“Rory made a tremendous effort and put quite a bit of pressure on me — his second to the 15th was true class,” Hanson added. “He gave me a bit of a cushion early on (McIlroy missed two four-foot par putts) and I was maybe a little too defensive at the end, but it all worked out.

“My short game used to be my weak part, but I’ve been working on it and my putting has really improved.”

In Chicago, Hanson was angry to be left out all day Saturday and he said the following week that he might not be sending captain Olazabal “that many Christmas cards”. But the pair chatted last week and are back on good terms.

“I was a bit disappointed,” Hanson said, “but there’s no feeling of revenge or wanting to show everyone now. It’s a team effort and we ended up winning it.”

McIlroy is staying in China, but only for a one-day head-to-head against Tiger Woods — joint fourth in Malaysia today after a closing 63.

The rest of the week is being spent with his tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki in Bulgaria — she is playing a tournament there — but he returns to Asia for the Singapore Open and his defence of the Hong Kong Open.

Those events will give the 23-year-old the opportunity to clinch the money list double before the race-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai on November 22nd.

“I’m happy with how I played, but a little disappointed,” McIlroy said. “I missed a few opportunities on the front nine and it was too little, too late. I wanted to make him work for it and it would have been nice to hole the putt on the last, but it wasn’t to be and Peter deserved it.”