Lane secured his fifth European Tour title ten years and 57 days and 252 events after winning the Turespaña Open de Baleares – the fourth longest gap between victories in European Tour history.

The three stroke winning margin belied the high drama during the final round at the Marriott Forest of Arden as Cabrera, Romero and Sweden’s Patrick Sjöland all challenged for the title. Ultimately two holes proved pivotal, the seventh where Lane chipped in from 25 yards for an eagle three to move two clear and break three of the pack and then the 16th where, after driving into a horrible lie in the thick rough on the right he managed to find the green with his second shot and converted the 30 foot birdie putt.

Victory was sealed with another birdie on the 17th and a safe par on the last and earned him €395,123 (£266,660), taking him past the €5 million barrier in career earning and lifting him to fourth in the Volvo Order of Merit.

“This is an incredible feeling,” said Lane. “I just kept believing in myself and everybody around me kept believing in me. Chipping in on the seventh was nice, a real boost but I still had 11 holes to go and even though I was 14 under I had to keep making birdies. The 16th was the key hole. I pushed the drive and that was possibly the worst lie I have ever seen. To get it on the green was unbelievable.”

Cabrera moved within one stroke of Lane over the closing holes, making eagle on the 17th after a towering second shot came to rest eight feet from the pin, but moments after that putt dropped, Lane restored the two stroke cushion with his birdie on the 16th and extended it to three on the next hole.

“I played very well today,” said Cabrera, who closed with a five under par 67 for a 13 under par total of 275. “I hit the ball perfectly today. Hit a great shot on the 17th and another on the 18th but just went a bit long. But I had to make a good score today and did that. I’m playing well at the moment.”

Cabrera’s close friend and World Cup team-mate, Romero, also came up short after a final round of 69 to match Cabrera’s 13 under par score of 275 but had no regrets about a rules infringement during the second round where he was penalised two strokes after his ball moved on the 14th green and he didn’t replace it.

“It was my fault,” said Romero, who was attempting to become the oldest player to win on The European Tour. “I was thinking about it on the 16th hole today but the game is like this. I finished second and that’s important. The rule is the rule for everybody. You can’t change it. But I had a good week and I’m very happy.”

Sjoland closed with a three under par 69 to finish one stroke further back on 12 under par 276 with four players sharing fifth place on 11 under par – the overnight leader Paul Broadhurst (72) of England, Australian Nick O’Hern (68) and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke and Dane Anders Hansen who both shot 65, the lowest rounds of the day.
 

Courtesy of www.europeantour.com