Garcia gains rookie tour win

Spanish wonder boy Sergio Garcia sensationally won only his sixth professional event to confirm himself as Europe's answer to Tiger Woods.

Garcia became the youngest winner on the European Tour for 17 years and only the fourth teenage champion ever when he came from two behind to grab the Murphy's Irish Open at Druids Glen.

The 19-year-old nicknamed 'El Nino' - 'The Boy' - showed the world his prodigious talent by shooting an amazing closing seven-under-par 64 to claim the £166,660 first prize by three shots from Argentina's Angel Cabrera.

Last year's British amateur champion, who only turned professional in April, thus took only one tournament longer than Woods to register his maiden success - and it is one which opens all sorts of doors.

First of all Garcia, who finished on the 16-under-par total of 268, now does not have to qualify for the Open at Carnoustie starting on Thursday week.

He also has a European Tour card for the next two seasons, sparing him the ordeal of the annual qualifying school.

Most excitingly of all, perhaps, he will now surely become the youngest-ever Ryder Cup player this September - and the way he is going he may not even need a wild card from captain Mark James to be on board the Concorde flight to Boston.

It is a win that has been coming, despite his having started to play for cash only after finishing top amateur in the Masters this spring.

On his professional debut at the Spanish Open Garcia opened with a 67 and finished 25th.

He then went to America, began the Byron Nelson Classic with an unbelievable 62 and tied for third.

His next two events in Europe saw him come 20th and 19th and on his return to the States he was 11th in the Memorial Tournament.

In six starts now he has already earned nearly £330,000 - and he seems certain to win millions more in the years to come.

The last player under 20 to register a European Tour win was Paul Way at the 1982 Dutch Open.

The only other teenagers to triumph have been South African Dale Hayes - the record holder at 18 years 290 days when he lifted the 1971 Spanish Open - and Garcia's hero Seve Ballesteros, who also won the Dutch Open the week after finishing second in the 1976 Open at Birkdale.

Ballesteros was 19 years 121 days. Garcia is 55 days older.

"They always say the first win is the most difficult, so let's see if I can continue now," said a jubilant Garcia, who shot 81 in the final round last year as an amateur.

A day after firing what he called "the best nine holes of my life" to get into contention, Garcia opened with a 20-foot birdie putt to be just one behind overnight leader Cabrera.

That became two again when he three-putted the long fifth but birdies on the next two holes and a Cabrera bogey at the ninth put the youngster in front.

Both birdied the long 11th before Garcia put his foot on the accelerator in breathtaking fashion, holing 30-footers on the following two greens.

Cabrera was not finished, however. He birdied the next two to be only one behind again but a chip to 18 inches brought Garcia a crucial seventh birdie at the long 16th and when he hit his approach to six feet on the 465-yard 18th it was all over.

For good measure, though, he made that birdie putt as well to complete a momentous day in European Tour history.

Australian Jarrod Moseley was third five shots behind and another Spaniard, Miguel Angel Martin, finished joint fourth after equalling the course record of 62 and coming within one stroke of a European Tour record with his seven-under-par outward half of 28.

Alongside him were 46-year-old Irishman Eamonn Darcy and Dane Thomas Bjorn, while a shot further back in a tie for seventh were the big two of Colin Montgomerie (twice a winner and runner-up after a play-off last year) and Lee Westwood.

Westwood, seven adrift at the start of the round, got to one behind but then three-putted the 16th for par, dumped his tee shot in the water at the island-green 17th for a double bogey and three-putted the last to drop another shot.

Montgomerie was never able to get back in the hunt after three-putting the long 11th for a six.

Martin, winner of the Moroccan Open two weeks ago, holed in one at the 166-yard eighth - it was the fourth ace of the week - and had eight birdies.

The course record was set by Montgomerie in winning two years ago and matched by Barry Lane in last year's third round.

Only three men in tour history have ever covered nine holes in 27 - England's Robert Lee twice, Martin's compatriot Jose Maria Canizares and Swede Joakim Haeggman.

Martin began the day in joint 23rd place at one over par but birdied the third and then finished the front nine with four birdies either side of his ace.

He also birdied the 11th, 14th and 16th holes coming home but bogeyed the treacherous 13th.