Fisher King of European Open

Ross Fisher buried not just one, but two nightmare memories to win the European Open in inspired fashion at a wet and windy London Club today.

The 27-year-old Englishman, who began the tournament with a course-record 63 playing the Kent layout ’blind’, completed a majestic seven-stroke win by holing a bunker shot on the last.

That summed up the week, one that began with him qualifying for The Open and contemplating pulling out of the European Tour event because of tiredness.

Sergio Garcia thought a closing 68 might give him a chance given the conditions. He then produced a 66 he called one of the top-five rounds of his career and “definitely the best putting round I’ve ever had”.

Yet, he would have had to shoot an unprecedented 59 just for a play-off.

Fisher, three ahead of closest challenger Graeme McDowell and nine clear of Garcia overnight, finished with a 68 for a 20 under par total – and with it moved from 21st in the Ryder Cup standings to 11th.

“Just a great week,” he said. “I felt really calm all day, very composed, comfy with my game.

“I got my fair share of luck as well – at the last I was just thinking, ’Try and put it on the green’. I’m delighted.”

In November, Fisher led the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai by one with one to play and with closest challenger Phil Mickelson in the water on the par-five last, he was odds-on to win.

But he chipped over the green into the lake, ran up a double-bogey seven and lost the play-off.

Before that, he was joint leader with a round to play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth – his home club – but collapsed to a closing 84.

Now he has a second Tour title to his name and having done it in such style against some of the circuit’s biggest names, the future can only look bright for the former England amateur international.

Fisher said: “They say the second win is harder. I might have made it look easy, but it certainly wasn’t.”

As for the possibility of a Ryder Cup debut, he added: “I’d love it, but it’s still a long way off.”

Northern Irishman McDowell took third place, despite managing only a 73 and that put him in the 10th and last automatic spot in the Ryder Cup standings.

South African David Frost, at 48 trying to become the oldest winner in Tour history, finished fourth and that gave him the Open exempt spot up for grabs at the event.

Fisher’s 50-foot eagle putt on the fifth was the one that left the rest with too much ground to make up, providing he avoided disaster.

To play the remaining holes in three under with birdies on the 12th, 15th and 471-yard 18th – there were only 25 birdies there all week and he had three of them – was majestic stuff.

Open champion Padraig Harrington, who was an incredible 18 shots back in 17th place after a 75, said: ``I don't think any player out here would be surprised at Ross's performance.

“He is well capable of doing this and more regularly.”

Garcia, told of Raphael Nadal’s progress at Wimbledon as he went round, had just 21 putts and given that that was the area of his game holding him back for so long he could well deserve to go into The Open as favourite.

Last year, of course, he would have taken the Claret Jug with a closing par, but bogeyed and lost the play-off to Harrington.

He is up from fifth to second in the Ryder Cup race and said: “Obviously I came here trying to win, but my second goal was to get as many cup points and that’s helped a lot.

“I would expect to putt like that every single round. I’d love to, it would be an easy game. Now I feel what Tiger feels 90% of the time on the greens – it’s a great feeling.”

He is going home for a week’s practice before heading to Royal Birkdale, while Harrington, as he did last year, will play the Irish PGA championship as his final warm-up.

Paired with the Dubliner, defending champion Colin Montgomerie tumbled to a 77 and to 24th place, not what he was looking for after his runners-up finish in the French Open.

He stays 14th in the Ryder Cup points race and for him it is the Scottish Open next.