Spain defeat South Africa in final

Miguel Angel Martin, the man who was kicked off Europe's Ryder Cup team three years ago, brought the curtain down on the Alfred Dunhill Cup by bringing Spain their second successive triumph at St Andrews on Sunday.

In the final chapter of the £1m event, which next year will be replaced by a £3.4m pro-am, Spain beat South Africa 2-1 thaks to Martin's sensational 50-foot putt on the last.

His opponent, David Frost, then three-putted the first extra hole to give Spain a memorable win.

"Miguel Angel may not be big in size, but he has the heart of a lion," said Spain's jubilant captain Jose Maria Olazabal after clinching the win.

"The way he came back from double-bogeying the 17th was incredible. It's been a great week and to win like this is the icing on the cake."

It all boiled down to the Frost-Martin play-off once Miguel Angel Jimenez beat Retief Goosen 70-72 and twice US Open champion Ernie Els defeated twice US Masters champion Olazabal just as he did in the 1998 final between the two teams.

The Spanish team celebrate retaining the Dunhill Cup. Allsport.

Frost led by one with two to play and in a comedy of errors both went over the green at the fearsome 17th and ran up double bogey sixes.

When Martin's pitch to the last struck the flag stick and spun back into the Valley of Sin it looked all over.

But, just like Costantino Rocca at the 1995 Open, the 38-year-old from Madrid sank his putt from off the green.

Unlike Rocca, who still went on to lose to John Daly, Martin went on to be the hero.

It was hard luck, though, on Els, whose 68 to beat Olazabal by two meant he finished the week with a 20 under par aggregate, equalling the record in the competition set by Nick Faldo over four rounds in 1988 and matched by Nick Price over five rounds five years ago.

He should have beaten it, missing from less than two feet on the last, but victory was his by then and that also made Els the most successful player in the event's history.

He won all his five games this time to take his total to 26 victories in 36 games.

Spain & South Africa meet in final

Jose Maria Olazabal came from four down against Argentina's Angel Cabrera to win by two shots and help champions Spain into the final of the Alfred Dunhill Cup on Sunday.

They will meet 1997 and 1998 champions South Africa who were comfortable 2-0 winners over Wales.

Cabrera birdied the opening three holes against Olazabal and was four under after five.

But Olazabal hauled himself back into the match with six threes around the turn to tie the match and Cabrera bogeys on the final two holes for an inward 39 handed the match to the Spaniard 69-71.

Eduardo Romero shot a two-under-par 69 to defeat Miguel Angel Jimenez by two strokes in the second match but Jose Coceres also struggled over his inward nine, dropping four strokes that included back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16 to hand opponent Miguel Martin a one-stroke win.

Martin, with 10 closing pars, shot a 71, Coceres's birdie at the last coming too late to save him.

By contrast, the South Africa-Wales match was a one-sided affair.

World number two Ernie Els routed David Park by eight shots with a round of 69 after team mate David Frost had beaten Ian Woosnam almost as emphatically 70-76.

Said Woosnam: "I was shocking on the greens and didn't play well. I must have got out of bed the wrong way because I have been struggling all week on the greens."

Park struggled throughout, managing just one birdie and taking back-to-back double bogeys at 16 and 17.

Retief Goosen birdied the 18th to tie his match with Welshman Phil Price, both players shooting excellent 68s. With the match already decided in South Africa's favour there was no need for a play-off.

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