McDowell and Davies make a statement of Ryder Cup intent

Playing on the course where he hopes to earn his second cap against the Americans in October – quite possibly as Rory McIlroy's partner – the 30-year-old Ulsterman was forced to pull out all the stops to grab his fifth European Tour title.

In-form Welshman Rhys Davies was the man to put the heat on with a stunning course-record 62 that saw him cover the middle 12 holes in 10 under par.

But McDowell matched the 25-year-old's front nine 30, started for home with two more birdies and, with a three-stroke lead once Davies had bogeyed the difficult 16th, did not let the opportunity slip.

A closing 63 for a 15-under-par total of 269 gave McDowell, winless since the 2008 Scottish Open, the 300,000 first prize by three and left Davies a runner-up for the second week running.

"I think it's the best final round I've ever played to win a tournament," said McDowell.

"The first 11 holes was dream golf and I am ecstatic. I feel like I'm in the form of my life right now and I really feel I have a big event in me."

The size of the cheque was still not enough to put McDowell into an automatic qualifying place in the points race, but the odds on him receiving a wild card if need be should come crashing down because of where this was.

"To win around here is certainly going to stand me in good stead if I need a pick," he added.

Four behind at the start of the day McDowell could not have expected to become the man to catch so quickly, but overnight leader Marcel Siem put two balls in the water and ran up a quadruple bogey seven at the short third.

Davies, eight adrift when he teed off, knew he was in with a chance from the moment he sank his 170-yard eight-iron for an eagle two on the eighth.

His fourth birdie came on the next, then he produced two more at the start of the inward half and when he drove the green at the 377-yard dogleg 15th and made his 30-foot putt for another eagle two the European Tour's first 59 was still a possibility.

The Tour rookie required two more birdies for that, but instead he failed to get up and down from sand on the next and had to settle for two closing pars.

His round nevertheless shaved a stroke off the course record set by Stephen Gallacher in the third round and matched by his fellow Scot Marc Warren early on the final day.

Local hero Davies admitted: "I enjoyed every second of it."

The 25-year-old from Bridgend – a European Tour rookie – carded six birdies, two eagles and just one bogey.

While this year's Ryder Cup, back on the Celtic Manor 2010 course in early October, might prove tantalisingly beyond Davies's reach, Welsh golf has undoubtedly discovered a new star.

The former Glamorgan academy cricketer produced a round to match his dazzling attire of orange shirt and white trousers, collecting 200,000 for his efforts.

Former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam is the only Welshman to win a European Tour event in Wales – the 1983 British Masters and 1990 Epson Grand Prix - but Davies's time will surely come.

That McDowell needed a score of no worse than 65 to avoid facing Davies in a play-off said everything about the runner-up's scorching round.

Davies left a lasting impression on this year's tournament – and possibly current Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

"I tried to push a little too hard yesterday, and I was mindful of that, so I went out with a really relaxed attitude and was going to accept anything that came my way," said Davies, who now sets his sights on the US Open at Pebble Beach later this month.

"I knew I was playing well and I felt there was a good round in me.

"It didn't cross my mind winning the tournament, but at eight under, I birdied nine, 10 and 11, then I looked at the leaderboard and I was top, which was both surprising and pleasing.

"If I am honest, if I thought I would have shot 62 I think I would have fancied winning the tournament, so all credit to Graeme, who has gone and done something very similar.

"Major championships and big world events are always tournaments I've set my mind to and wanted to go and play.

"I wanted to do it as soon as possible in my career to give myself the most experience I could. For the remainder of the season now I can pretty much plan and prepare to play the biggest tournaments, and that's really exciting for me."

And what of the Ryder Cup on home soil?

"It's not a thought, simply because it is still so early in my career. I am very good at taking things week by week," he said.

"I have improved a lot in a short time, but if I am honest, I always felt I could do so and have been doing so.

"For the latter stage of my amateur career, I was playing some really good golf and it hadn't quite shown up in the early stages of my professional career."