Tour News: Sweden's Johan Edfors shot a 68 in the final round of the $1 million TCL Classic in China to register his breakthrough win on the European Tour.

The 30-year-old finished on 25-under-par in the co-sanctioned European and Asian Tour event played at Yalong Bay Golf Club on Hainan Island.

Australia's Andrew Buckle, runner-up at the Indonesia Open earlier this month, had a makeable putt on the last for birdie to take Edfors to a play-off but it drifted right of the cup.

Buckle finished a stroke ahead of Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng, who shot a 65.

Overnight leader David Howell slumped to a three-over 75 to finish in a tie for seventh, while defending champion Paul Casey ended joint 10th after his third successive 68.

Paul McGinley closed with a 70 to finish nine shots behind Edfors. It was worth €11,125 to the Dubliner.

Edfors, whose previous best performance on the European Tour was a tie for ninth at the Madrid Open in 2004, now has a two-year exemption after earning his card for this season by going through the qualifying school.

"It will change a lot," he said of his plans for the rest of the year. "Until now, after getting my card back at the qualifying school in November, it was hard knowing what tournaments I would get to play.

"Now I can choose which tournaments I play and it will be great to make a schedule for the rest of the year. It will make a big impact."

With the win Edfors will receive an invitation to the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai in November, and it moved him into the top 20 on the European Order of Merit after picking up a cheque for €140,000.

Edfors started the fourth round two shots behind Howell and two bogeys in the first three holes looked to have put him out of contention.

But seven birdies - including one at the 18th - in the remaining 15 holes and only one bogey proved to be enough to stave off Buckle's challenge.

"I didn't have a very good start and bogeyed two and three and thought I was out of it then," said the Swede. "Then, going down the ninth, I saw I was top of the leaderboard and I was really surprised. After that I started striking the ball nicely.

"On the last I had the perfect yardage for a pitching wedge for my second shot and hit it really well.

"I told myself to try to die the putt into the hole and it went straight in. It was a great feeling when that last putt went in."

After three days of low scores the wind finally picked up at the Yalong Bay Golf Club, providing the field with a stiffer challenge.

Edfors, however, felt the course was still relatively easy.

"If there is no wind, this is one of the easier courses but if it picks up," he said. "It suits my game perfectly. I am long off the tee and straight as well, so I can drive three of the par fours and get up easily on the par fives.

"There are a lot of birdies there but if you are not careful it is easy to screw up as well. If you are playing well it is an easy course.

"It is probably one of the easier ones. I played on the Challenge Tour last year and there are a lot of courses like this. There is no rough so you can give it a go off the tee and that makes it easier I guess."

Meanwhile, the final round of the LPGA Tour's Safeway International suffered a two-hour interruption due to a severe storm at Superstition Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

The delay for thunder and lightning left organisers struggling to get play finished before darkness.

South Korea's Sarah Lee led on 14 under par after 54 holes, a shot ahead of 19-year-old compatriot, Aree Song.

Annika Sorenstam lost her chance of claiming the title for a third successive year with a third-round 75 that left her 13 shots off the lead.