Casey ends long wait for triumph to boost his major aspirations

Paul Casey came through what he called "one of the toughest battles I've ever had" yesterday to end a 20-month spell without a victory.

The man controversially left out of Europe's Ryder Cup side by

captain Colin Montgomerie last year sank a closing six-foot par putt to take the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions on the Montgomerie-designed Royal course in Bahrain.

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After an amazing 23 changes at the top of the leaderboard on the final day, Casey came to the 429-yard last level with Swede Peter Hanson.

Montgomerie had tipped Hanson – "probably Europe's most improved player" – to lift the trophy, but he went from rough to sand, then missed from 10 feet and with a bogey five dropped into a tie for second with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Casey, at ninth in the world the highest-ranked player in the field, said: "It feels fantastic – the most important thing to me is winning and that was huge.

"The goal is obviously the majors, but how are you going to win major championships if you can't win regular events?"

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He grabbed the 238,212 first prize with a four-under-par 68 and 20-under total of 268.

Third on the world rankings before he tore a rib muscle practising for the 2009 Open, Casey moves back into the top six and knew he would be fifth should Phil Mickelson finish worse than second in San Diego.

"I'm going in the right direction," added Casey.

Course-record rounds of 63 from Dane Soren Kjeldsen and Hull's Richard Finch flattered to deceive in the desert because by the time the leaders came to the back nine a strong wind had picked up.

"We thought it was going to be benign, but we faced a course that was treacherous," said Casey.

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, Hanson's compatriot

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Johan Edfors and South African James Kingston all slipped up

after holding at least a share of the lead, Clarke having bogey sixes on both the ninth and 13th and finishing with a double bogey.

Casey got his nose in front with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 15th, but had his only bogey of the last two rounds on the next.

Jimenez's chances were alive again when he birdied the last and Hanson bogeyed it, but Casey kept his nerve and got up and down from the rough by the green to squeeze home.

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"I was lucky to have a putt to win. Peter was phenomenal and didn't make any mistakes really until the last."

Not quite true. Hanson was also left to rue a missed three-footer on the long 14th.

Scotland's Stephen Gallacher took fourth place and Swede Robert Karlsson, who will be the defending champion in Qatar this week, came fifth.

Clarke was only joint eighth in the end, Ian Poulter 24th, Sergio Garcia 30th, Padraig Harrington 58th and Montgomerie 59th.

Finch placed 20th after rounds of 71 71 71 and 63.

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