Garcia enjoys 11-shot victory

Sergio Garcia ended nearly three years without a victory in astonishing fashion today, winning his home Castellon Masters by 11 shots with a 27-under-par total.

The 31-year-old Spanish star, already eight clear with a round to go, had a closing 63 – his second of the week with a 64 in between – to beat the previous biggest winning margin of the European Tour season by three.

There have been only two bigger in the history of the circuit – Tiger Woods won the 2000 US Open by 15 and Ernie Els the 2005 Asian Open by 13 – while the only player to finish more under par was Els, 29 under at the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic.

“That was for Seve,” said Garcia after sending a kiss to the skies. Seve Ballesteros, of course, died of brain cancer in May.

On a day of spectacular scoring compatriot Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano was second after a 64 – he bogeyed the final two holes for that – and joint third were Swede Alex Noren (also 64) and Scot Richie Ramsay (65) on 15 under.