Cabrera claims massive victory

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, biggest hitter on the European Tour last season, had the biggest win of his life at The Belfry today.

The 32-year-old, nicknamed ‘‘The Duck’’ in his home country apparently because of the way he walks became £183,330 richer for a one-stroke victory over Barry Lane in the Benson & Hedges International Open.

Cabrera’s two-putt birdie on the long 17th and Lane’s three-putt at the 16th ultimately settled the issue, the South American winning with a 10-under-par total of 278.

Like Lane, Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington and Michael Campbell were all left thinking what might have been after each of them bogeyed the final hole to finish joint third one shot further back.

Montgomerie blamed primarily a double bogey six at the 261-yard 10th for coming up short of his target, but also the public address announcer at the 18th green.

‘‘Just as I was swinging on the final tee I heard him announce Nick Faldo’s name on the tannoy,’’ said Montgomerie.

‘‘I’m delighted that Nick Faldo was being celebrated on the final green, but the wind was blowing straight in our direction and his voice carried.

‘‘I’ll be speaking to somebody about it. Everybody was quiet and the ‘Quiet Please’ signs were up around the tee, then he volunteers to make a noise.’’

In the event he would have had to birdie the 473-yard hole, scene of so much Ryder Cup drama before and almost certainly again this September, to force a play-off.

It was Cabrera’s first victory on European soil, although his win last year in the Argentine Open counted towards the Order of Merit.

This success, against a much stronger field, should take him into the world’s top 20 for the first time and following his 10th and ninth place finishes in the last two Masters, he believes he can climb even higher.

‘‘To win one of the best tournaments in Europe makes me think that this is the start of great things,’’ commented Cabrera, who received financial help from fellow professional Eduardo Romero at the start of his career.

He will certainly be looking forward to the chance to lock horns again with Tiger Woods in Germany this week. The pair were involved in a terrific battle in the World Cup two years ago.