Triumph enables Parry to secure his Tour card

A Challenge Tour graduate like Rhys Davies and John Morrison, the 23-year-old Yorkshireman won the Vivendi Trophy at Golf de Joyenval in Paris by two shots from Swede Johan Edfors.

Parry, 116th on the money list entering the event with the top 115 keeping their cards at the end of the year, fired a closing 70 to take the 169,638 top prize with a 17-under-par total of 271.

He had not finished higher than ninth in any previous tournament and in Austria the previous week held the halfway lead and then fell away to 20th.

Padraig Harrington came eighth after a best-of-the-day 64, timely indeed as he goes into a Ryder Cup where he is in the spotlight after being given a wild card ahead of Paul Casey and Justin Rose.

Parry said: "I felt nervous and just tried to control my emotions. I felt I was playing well, though, and my concentration was good.

"I was trying to get to 20 under and I think I could have done it if I had holed a few more putts."

With a one-year Tour exemption now under his belt he added: "At least I know now what (events) I am going to play in. It takes the pressure off.

"I thought I was good enough to win – it was just putting it all together."

One in front when he resumed, Parry was caught early on by former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin, but after three birdies and a bogey on the front nine he turned two in front.

Another birdie at the 10th was to prove his last of the day, but no one could sustain a challenge to him and, although he bogeyed the short 17th after finding sand, Edfors did the same and then went into another bunker at the last.

Joint third were Sandelin, Danes Soren Kjeldsen and Mark Haastrup, France's Francois Delamontagne and Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen.

Parry admitted the wind in the French capital had worked in his favour yesterday.

"I was happy with my game and more comfortable than maybe I was last week – that's maybe why I struggled a bit at the weekend (in Austria)," he said.

"I think with the wind, as well – it helped me. I was hitting it well and I was playing steady stuff, so for people to be shooting five, six under to go past me was pretty hard."

The win means the Yorkshireman can relax for the remainder of the year with his main goal achieved.

"It takes a lot of pressure off for the rest of the year," he said. "I thought before this event I probably had two more events after this, so obviously trying to keep my card was one of my main aims in those two events.

"Plus I can plan everything I'm going to play in now, all the big events, so it's a big help."

On his progress since turning professional in 2007, he added on www.europeantour.com: "I've just done it steadily.

"I've had a year on the Europro Tour then onto the Challenge Tour and a year there and I've had a win on each one.

"If I'd have jumped straight on first year to the European Tour I probably would not have been good enough to win. I've got into the habit of winning so I think it's a good thing."

Harrington had a spring in his step again as he moved on from France to Wales for the Ryder Cup after his 64, not that the three-time major champion thinks it will change many people's minds about whether it was right that he and not Paul Casey or Justin Rose was selected.

"At the end of the day it's impossible to prove any point like that," he said after carding seven birdies and an eagle in his final round in Paris.

"Everybody's going to have their opinion and most people will be pretty committed to their opinion. It's not something I can control, so best to stay away from it. But I'm obviously happy. The week before a big event is all about seeing where your game is at.

"I struggled putting earlier in the week (he made the cut with nothing to spare) and it was sharp (yesterday), so I don't have as much to work on.

"I am excited to get there and ready to go."