Englishman Lee Slattery endured a few nervy moments both at the start and towards the end of his final round, but held on long enough to run out the winner of the Bankia Madrid Masters at El Encin Golf Hotel and claim his first European Tour win.
After a shaky opening few holes which saw two bogeys, Slattery reached the turn just 1-under par and saw his two-shot overnight lead evaporate as Argentinian veteran Cesar Monasterio and Italian Lorenzo Gagli moved in front.
But the Englishman, who lost his Tour card in 2007 and this year has suffered six missed cuts in his last 11 starts, rallied after the turn to post four birdies in five holes from the 11th as he clawed his way back in front and open up a seemingly healthy three-shot lead with three to play as his pursuers faltered.
And after parring both the 16th and 17th holes, Slattery looked in complete command of his destiny but tried his best to wreck his own victory speech with a real rush of blood to the head. His second shot to the 18th hole found a bunker, and then he pushed his third into the water to the right of the green.
But from the drop, Slattery rolled a chip to 10 feet, and with two putts to win he took full advantage, rolling his first to inside 2 feet and holing out for a double-bogey and a 15-under par total. With Gagli only managing a par, the double-bogey was still good enough to secure a one-shot win over the Italian, with Spaniard Eduardo De La Riva and Argentine Cesar Monasterio two shots further back.
“I’ve never shaken so much in my life,” he said. “I just stood over that putt and the hole looked tiny. I was strangling that putter because that one putt is a life changing putt.”
“It’s more the belief. I have been out here for seven years and now I believe I can win.”
Just €77 cost Slattery his Tour card back in 2007, and last year the player plied his trade on the Challenge Tour. This time however, there are no such worries as Slattery pocketed almost £143,000 for his win to move him to 77th spot on the Race To Dubai.
Gagli, meanwhile signed for a 70 to take second place and continue his fine form in 2011 that has seen four top-5 finishes and move inside the top-50 on the Race To Dubai, but defending champion and world number one Luke Donald could only muster a level-par 72 to finish in a tie for 11th place.
South African Thomas Aiken claimed fifth spot, closing with a 71 while tournament host, Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano finished in a share of 6th place alongside Ryder Cup duo Peter Hanson and Francesco Molinari, as well as Swede Oscar Floren and Frenchman Benjamin Hebert.
