Sweden's Patrik Sjoland kept a steady nerve and continued his near-faultless golf to win the three-round weather-affected Italian Open at Castelconturbia by three strokes. That left Jose Maria Olazabal denied a title for the second week running.

A closing 66 by Sjoland brought the European Tour's fifth first-time winner of the year out of 11 as he totalled 21-under-par to finish three ahead of Olazabal, who was second behind Thomas Bjorn in Barcelona last week, and fellow Swede Joakim Haegmann on 18-under-par.

Haeggman closed with a 63 to match Paul McGinley's splendid return of Saturday morning in this weather-interrupted event for the Dubliner to capture the first round lead.

McGinley again challenged yesterday after he had been floored by a triple-bogey eight the day before to plummet off the top of the leaderboard and eventually begin the third and final round of the reduced tournament, six behind Sjoland who led the field by three before yesterday afternoon's exhilarating finale.

But a run of five birdies in six holes before the turn flattered to deceive and the K Club-attached pro had to settle for a share of 13th place on 12-under-par and the satisfaction of a rejuvenated game after missing two cuts coming back from an injury lay-off.

Olazabal had called Sjoland's 64 in the first round after all the weather delays, "awesome" and the Spaniard was full of praise again yesterday as he conceded to the Swede in the end after doing his best to put on the pressure when he got to within two strokes of the lead.

Sjoland's aggregate was the joint-best total of the year, matching that of Thomas Bjorn last week - and the Dane achieved his over four rounds!

When Sjoland resumed on a sunny afternoon, greeted by a cuckoo on the tee, he warmed to the job of taking his first tour title after second and third places beforehand this year.

Olazabal was coming on strong up ahead but Sjoland kept him at bay with three birdies in the first four holes and kept plenty in reserve when the Spaniard moved only two behind by the 13th. When Olazabal, though, bogeyed the 14th with a three-putt it took the foot off the pedal and also allowed Haeggman to close up alongside for a share of second.

McGinley did not get nearly as much out of the week as Sjoland, who picked up £81,000, but earned £7,200 and gained the satisfaction of knowing his game is nearly back to the shape it was in when he triumphed with Padraig Harrington in the World Cup last year.

His burst of five birdies before the turn was a tribute to good iron play as he three times wedged to a few feet and also produced a seven iron to just two feet. An 18-foot putt also went in.

However, the finish would have been more satisfactory without a three-putt and a ball which rolled off the 15th green when also going in close, both costing bogeys. But McGinley was happy enough. "I got to within four strokes of the lead before finding nothing on the back nine, so it's nearly there," he said. Overall it proved a good week.

"I'm over my injury setback with the torn rib ligament. That was hard to come back from and my rustiness cost me two missed cuts. I shot a 63 and I have a good base to work from with some big tournaments coming up."

Darren Clarke led briefly in the first round but yesterday really plumbed the depths. Clarke ran up a quadruple-bogey seven on the short 11th on his way to a 74 to finish only six-under, earning just £1,800, a far cry from his Augusta feat.

The seven came when he twice went into the lake, his first ball bouncing in from a bank, his second a duffed chip.

Harrington proved the second-best Irishman but that was only 43rd place on eight-under for £2,800, carding a 69.