Madrid Open: South African Richard Sterne rescued his European tour career in brilliant fashion yesterday by winning the Madrid Open with a closing 65.

But Ulster's Graeme McDowell, who had started the final round just one shot off the lead, spoiled his card with four bogeys as he slipped out of contention, posting 73 to tie for 19th at the finish.

Gary Murphy also lost ground on the run-in, his 71 leaving him a shot behind McDowell in a tie for 23rd. And Ireland's other representative, Peter Lawrie, also carded 71 to finish in a share of 38th place.

Sterne flew to the Spanish capital 122nd on the Order of Merit and needing to climb six spots to save himself. But now, after a two-stroke victory over Denmark's Anders Hansen, he has a two-year exemption.

And with Australian Wade Ormsby shooting 66 to claim a share of sixth place and save his place on the circuit as well, his fellow Aussie Jarrod Moseley and England's Simon Wakefield paid the full price for missing the halfway cut.

They will now have to go to next month's qualifying school to win back their cards.

Tournament host Seve Ballesteros described Sterne's performance as "unbelievable, outstanding", adding, "He must be very proud."

And Sterne, the 16th first-time winner of the year, certainly was.

"A bad round today and I was back at the tour school," he said. "I can't believe I am standing here. I knew a top 12 or top 15 could be good enough, but I didn't look at a leaderboard until the ninth and then didn't look again until the 16th."

The 23-year-old's front-nine 31, including an eagle and three birdies, was the joint-best of the day.

When his compatriot Darren Fichardt, joint overnight leader with Paul Broadhurst, double-bogeyed the 385-yard eighth Sterne held top spot on his own.

He never let it go, adding a birdie on the long 14th and closing with four pars for an 18-under-par total of 266 and winner's cheque of 166,660 - 37,000 more than he earned in the rest of the season.

Ormsby, who began the week 125th on the money list, was equally thrilled after his 66. Although he could not be sure at the time he needed to par the last to avoid the dreaded school and instead sank a 10-foot birdie putt.

"It feels awesome," he said. "Three days ago I booked a flight to the school - now I can cancel it."

While Moseley and Wakefield learnt their fate away from the event, there were more heartbreak stories at the course.

Swede Johan Edfors and Spaniard Ivo Giner had to finish first or second to keep their cards and were both in position to do it, but they dropped to ninth and sixth respectively.

Everybody felt for Edfors. He was leading with a hole to play in his third round, but then was involved in controversy when it was suspected that his ball was picked up by a spectator in the trees.

Because nobody owned up to it and nobody said they had seen it the tour's senior referee Andy McFee ruled it a lost ball and Edfors went back to the tee and double-bogeyed the hole.

Only after he had signed his card did a woman come to him and say she'd seen the ball being lifted. "I would have paid a lot for that ball," said the 29-year-old.

Former Dunhill Cup winner Jamie Spence, one of only 10 players to have a round of 60 on the circuit and chairman of the players' committee, finished joint 30th and lost his card by three shots.

Spence will now have to attend the school for the first time since 1989 and commented after his last-round 70: "If I'd played like that (all year) I would not have been in this position."(Irish in bold, British unless stated par 71):

266 (18 under par)

Richard Sterne (Rsa) 70 65 66 65 (€166,660)

268

Anders Hansen (Den) 68 66 68 66 (€111,110)

269

Terry Price (Aus) 66 71 65 67 (€62,600)

270

Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 74 64 64 68, Paul Broadhurst 67 65 68 70 (€46,200 each)

271

Wade Ormsby (Aus) 72 66 67 66, Ivo Giner (Spa) 68 69 64 70, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 67 66 67 71 (€30,000 each)

272

Raymond Russell 71 69 68 64, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 67 68 69 68, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 69 71 64 68, Johan Edfors (Swe) 66 67 69 70, Brett Rumford (Aus) 70 65 66 71 (€18,820 each)

273

Jonathan Lomas 70 71 67 65, Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa) 67 70 68 68, David Park 71 67 67 68, Philip Golding 69 67 68 69, Jamie Donaldson 68 67 68 70 (€14,100 each)

274

Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 70 65 72 67, Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 73 66 67 68, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 70 69 69 66, Graeme McDowell 70 64 67 73 (€11,825 each)

275

Jose Manuel Carriles (Spa) 70 69 68 68, Sebastian Fernandez (Arg) 70 70 68 67, Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned) 68 69 69 69, Bradley Dredge 67 71 67 70, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 70 70 68 67, Gary Murphy 68 66 70 71, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 63 69 73

276

Jamie Spence 71 66 69 70, Steve Webster 70 71 67 68, Stuart Little 70 66 72 68, Peter Fowler (Aus) 67 73 66 70, Colin Montgomerie 68 71 67 70, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 70 69 70 67, Stephen Scahill (Nzl) 71 70 69 66, Martin Maritz (Rsa) 68 72 65 71

277

Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 70 69 69 69, Matthew Blackey 68 73 66 70, Santiago Luna (Spa) 69 70 68 70, Peter Lawrie 71 67 68 71, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 70 70 66 71, Alastair Forsyth 68 72 68 69, Miles Tunnicliff 70 69 69 69, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 70 71 69 67, Ian Woosnam 72 67 72 66

278

Nick O'Hern (Aus) 67 69 70 72, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 73 68 67 70, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 73 68 68 69, Brian Davis 67 71 71 69, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 68 69 73 68

279

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 68 66 72, Robert Rock 71 68 68 72, David Lynn 71 70 68 70, Jamie Elson 72 69 68 70, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 70 70 69, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 69 70 68, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 70 71 71 67, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa) 70 69 74 66

280

Mark Foster 71 67 70 72, Gordon Brand Jnr 72 67 70 71, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 71 70 69 70, Andrew Marshall 69 71 68 72, Sam Torrance 71 69 72 68

281

Francisco Cea (Spa) 68 68 70 75, Julien Clement (Swi) 64 72 72 73, Stephen Dodd 69 70 72 70, James Kingston (Rsa) 71 68 74 68

282

Rob Rashell (USA) 70 70 67 75

283

Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 72 69 65 77, Gary Orr 69 69 74 71

284

Martin Wiegele (Aut) 70 71 69 74, Gregory Havret (Fra) 68 72 71 73, Steven O'Hara 68 71 72 73, Morten Olander (Swe) 69 72 71 72, Carlos Balmaseda (Spa) 70 71 71 72

285

Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 71 70 74, Fernando Roca (Spa) 69 70 73 73

287

Jose Rivero (Spa) 71 69 73 74

Ret: Pierre Fulke (Swe)