South African Charl Schwartzel won the Spanish Open after a marathon last day effort in Madrid today.

A 15-foot eagle putt on the long 16th proved decisive as the 22-year-old captured his second European Tour title by one shot from Indian Jyoti Randhawa.

They both had the bulk of their third rounds to play as well as the closing 18 holes because of earlier rain delays, but Schwartzel shot rounds of 68 and 67 to take the £226,150 first prize with a 16-under-par total of 272.

It was a nervy finish to both rounds for him, though.

He double-bogeyed the 18th on his first visit of the day and when returning there with a two-shot lead was twice in rough, but escaped with a bogey that proved good enough when Spaniard Carlos Rodiles, needing a birdie to tie, found heavy rough left of the green and bogeyed.

"It feels good," Schwartzel said.

"People said I'd won on the European Tour before but in South Africa (the 2005 dunhill championship), but I said I could do it in Europe too and it was just a matter of time before it all clicks in.

"The three shots on the 16th were probably the three best I hit all week. It's not a tee shot to laugh at with water all down the left, but I hit it perfectly and then had the perfect three-iron yardage."

For Randhawa it was a fourth runners-up finish - but he has tasted victory seven times in Asia.

Rodiles dropped to third, with English pair Mark Foster and Simon Dyson joint fourth.

Paul McGinley led home a five-strong Irish challenge on nine under par.  Peter Lawrie was a shot further back while Graeme McDowell finished on seven under.

Gary Murphy carded a fine closing round of 68 to finish on six under while Damien McGrane closed on two under.