GOLF/PGA Championship: To achieve a maiden victory on the European Tour is a significant coup, to do so in conquering an elite field even more laudable, but to amass a 19-under total at Wentworth in largely adverse golfing conditions over the four days is little short of phenomenal.
That is exactly, though, what Denmark's Anders Hansen achieved by winning the Volvo PGA Championship in a canter.
He finished five shots ahead of Colin Montgomerie (67) and Eduardo Romero (68), requiring nothing more exacting than a two-under-par 70 to confirm his success.
The 30-year-old demonstrated remarkable composure, supporting Darren Clarke's assertion. "I saw him (Hansen) on the range before he went out and he was unbelievably composed for someone trying to win his first golf tournament."
It was a façade as Hansen later conceded: "I was very nervous before the start. I didn't sleep very well last night.
"I'm shell-shocked. It's the greatest moment of my golfing career, unbelievable, and I hope to go on and do a lot of great things."
It was his first victory in his 106th European tour event, the cheque of £333,330 taking him over the £1 million mark in career earnings and getting him an exemption into the British Open.
The blustery conditions and intermittent showers of the first three days paled in comparison with the torrential downpours that assailed the West course yesterday.
Yet, despite the handicap of the elements, several players compiled extraordinary rounds, none more so than Jarrod Moseley. The 29-year-old Australian shot a course-record equalling 63 (Wayne Riley 1991, Angel Cabrera 2001), the lowest ever final round in the history of the PGA Championship.
He managed 10 birdies and just a single dropped shot. His exploits earned him a share of seventh place.
Nick Faldo's bid for a place in the forthcoming US Open - he needed to finish first or second at Wentworth - culminated in agonising failure, just two shots adrift of his goal.
He amassed seven birdies, but crucially conceded four shots to the card in a valiant effort. It brings to an end a staggering run for the Englishman of having played in the last 58 majors.
Darren Clarke produced a blemish-free five-under-par 67 to catapult up the leaderboard to tied seventh and it was understandable that he bore a contented smile.
The quality of his golf over the weekend in particular - he shot a 69 on the Saturday - where he was eight-under-par for the two days suggests that his form on an upward curve.
"I've played quite nicely a few times this year and not scored as well as I should have done. Today, I managed to get the most out of the round. I putted really nicely. I holed a lot of really good, solid putts from 10 feet into about the one of five or six on the last."
The Dungannon man decided to pursue an experiment with the belly putter in practice, adopting it in tournament play for the first time and with considerable success.
This was borne out by the putting statistics. After taking 29 putts on the Thursday, he reduced this to 28 and then 26 and 26.
"It's definitely got a bit of promise in it. I holed a nice 15-footer for birdie on 17 and holing putts like that when I want to hole them makes an awful lot of difference."
Clarke, though, believes that there is considerable scope for improvement. "I'm at about 50 to 60 per cent of maximum capacity. I not firing on all cylinders, but I do feel things are starting to come around a bit and I'm looking forward to the next tournament."
He tees it up in the Victor Chandler British Masters at Woburn this week.
For Ronan Rafferty the weekend has been something of an endurance test. Poised at four-under-par when he strode onto the first tee on Saturday morning, the Ulsterman slipped to a seven-over par 79 and the free-fall continued yesterday with a 76.
269 - MA Hansen (Den) 68 65 66 70
274 - C Montgomerie 64 71 72 67, E Romero (Arg) 67 68 71 68
276 - M Campbell (Nzl) 68 70 71 67, N Faldo 71 68 68 69, C Rodiles (Spa) 69 67 68 72 277 - J Moseley (Aus) 71 73 70 63, D Clarke 70 71 69 67
279 - D Gilford 68 71 70 70, P O'Malley (Aus) 69 71 69 70 280 - N Fasth (Swe) 71 71 71 67, S Leaney (Aus) 68 71 73 68, P Baker 70 70 68 72, M Lafeber (Ned) 71 70 67 72 281 - G Havret (Fra) 73 69 70 69, S Torrance 71 68 72 70, G Evans 68 75 67 71, G Turner (Nzl) 68 71 69 73 282 - T Bjorn (Den) 71 69 73 69, N Dougherty 72 70 71 69, S Tinning (Den) 67 76 70 69, J Bickerton 71 68 73 70, R Gonzalez (Arg) 73 70 69 70, B Lane 71 71 69 71, P Price 72 72 68 70, I Garrido (Spa) 69 71 69 73, M McNulty (Zim) 67 69 71 75 283 - DJ Russell 68 76 73 66, S Hansen (Den) 75 69 71 68, A 71 68 73 71 284 - G Owen 71 72 75 66, G Clark 69 72 73 70, R Karlsson (Swe) 68 75 70 71 285 - M Farry (Fra) 71 72 73 69, Andrew Oldcorn 68 75 72 70, A Marshall 72 70 72 71, T Gillis (USA) 68 74 71 72, P Sjoland (Swe) 71 71 71 72, P Lawrie 73 70 68 74 286 - B Rumford (Aus) 72 70 74 70, D Carter 71 72 72 71, H Bjornstad (Nor) 72 71 72 71, J Van de Velde (Fra) 71 69 74 72, R Wessels (Rsa) 72 71 71 72, S Delagrange (Fra) 70 73 71 72, A Cabrera (Arg) 70 71 70 75 287 - J Berendt (Arg) 73 71 74 69, S Gallacher 71 71 72 73, D Fichardt (Rsa) 72 72 69 74 288 - MA Martin (Spa) 70 73 75 70, S Bebb 71 71 75 71, M Davis 69 75 72 72, M Lundberg (Swe) 71 71 73 73, L Parsons (Aus) 68 74 72 74, J Rivero (Spa) 71 72 71 74 289 - G Brand Jnr 70 73 77 69, D Borrego (Spa) 68 74 76 71, A Coltart 67 73 77 72, R-J Derksen (Den) 74 70 71 74, J Sandelin (Swe) 69 71 73 76 290 - J Spence 72 72 76 70, R Green (Aus) 71 73 75 71, C Hanell (Swe) 72 72 72 74, G Emerson 73 69 73 75 291- Y Wei-tze (Tai) 73 71 73 74, T Immelman (Rsa) 69 74 73 75 292 - B Davis 72 70 76 74, M Foster 69 75 74 74 293 G Marks 71 70 77 75, D Botes (Rsa) 70 74 73 76 294 - R Muntz (Ned) 69 75 77 73, J M Olazabal (Spa) 68 73 75 78 295 - M Brier (Aut) 71 72 78 74, R Rafferty 68 72 79 76 296 - P Casey 71 72 74 79 301 - M Urquhart 73 71 82 75
