Unflappable Hansen wins first tour title at a stroll

When Anders Hansen refused to talk about winning the Volvo PGA Championship on Saturday, with the 31-year-old Dane leading by five strokes, he revealed a determination to finish the job off properly. That there was little excitement during the final round was entirely to his credit since not for a moment did Hansen show a weakness to the chasing pack.

A five-stroke victory over Colin Montgomerie, second for the second week running, and Eduardo Romero was celebrated with arms aloft and a hug from Thomas Bjorn, to date the leading golfer from Denmark. "He said my performance was magnificent," Hansen said. "It meant a lot for Thomas to be there."

Bjorn, who has played with Hansen since they were juniors, said: "I think he can be one of the best players in Europe. You are going to hear a lot more about him. He is a very consistent player and what he has done this week, in these conditions, is very special. It was one of the best performances we have seen in Europe for a long time. He has taken a while to come through but what he does really well is stick to what works for him. To win here must give him the confidence to go on to bigger things."

Seeing Denmark come last in the Eurovision Song Contest only spurred Hansen on. With a last round of 70 he set a record score for the championship of 19 under par, one better than Bernhard Langer in 1987 and Montgomerie in '99. Yet conditions were far from easy, especially in the strong, gusting winds of Friday and Saturday when Hansen compiled brilliant rounds of 65 and 66.

His maiden victory, in his fourth full year on tour, brought with it a five-year exemption and a prize of £333,330. Like Craig Perks at the Players Championship earlier this year, he became the first player to make the Volvo PGA his first title. "To win this tournament is beyond my wildest fantasy," he said. "For this title to be my first is unbelievable. What it means for the future I don't know yet.

"I felt horrible today. I had stomach cramps. That's the worst 18 holes of my life but I want to win so much. I couldn't imagine it going any better than it did."

Hansen was quickly six ahead of the field and, when he holed from 40 feet at the 10th, seven in front. Relentlessly, he found the safe path around the West Course, recovering quickly whenever he was out of position. It needed a fast start from someone to put any pressure on the Dane but Jarrod Moseley's 63, equalling the course record, left the Australian still too far behind.

Likewise Montgomerie's 67. "My back eased up over the last two days," he said. It was an exhausting week for the Scot as he sped from course to treatment room to practice range to massage table. After a first-round 64 he was in command but he lost the lead to Hansen when he dropped three shots in the last four holes on Friday.

The incident when he hit a spectator on the head at the 16th in the second round lingered on to his start on Saturday. "It did throw me a bit and I never got going on Saturday," he said.

Montgomerie, who is due to play in the British Masters at Woburn this week as his last event before the US Open, added: "Though it is disappointing to finish runner-up again, this week was a very good effort. I was close to pulling out on Friday night and I would have done if I had not been contending. I won't decide about Woburn until Wednesday evening but I am also seeing my surgeon tomorrow about a long-term plan."

Nick Faldo shared fourth place but missed out on an automatic exemption for the US Open. He needed to finish in the top two for that but has not given up hope of a last-minute invitation from the US Golf Association to extend his run of consecutive major championships played to 60.

"I'll decide whether I go and play in the qualifying in the next few days when I get back to the States," the 44-year-old Faldo said. "There were lots of good things about the week, lots of positive thinking, a few silly mistakes but generally good stuff."

Sponsors Volvo extended their commitment with the European Tour to 2004, when the PGA Championship will be played for the 50th time.

FINAL SCORES FROM WENTWORTH

269 A Hansen (Den) 68 65 66 70. 274 C Montgomerie 64 71 72 67; E Romero (Arg) 67 68 71 68. 276 M Campbell (NZ) 68 70 71 67; N Faldo 71 68 68 69; C Rodiles (Sp) 69 67 68 72. 277 J Moseley (Aus) 71 73 70 63; D Clarke 70 71 69 67. 279 D Gilford 68 71 70 70; P O'Malley (Aus) 69 71 69 70. 280 N Fasth (Swe) 71 71 71 67; S Leaney (Aus) 68 71 73 68; P Baker 70 70 68 72; M Lafeber (Neth) 71 70 67 72. 281 G Havret (Fr) 73 69 70 69; S Torrance 71 68 72 70; G Evans 68 75 67 71; G Turner (NZ) 68 71 69 73. 282 T Bjorn (Den) 71 69 73 69; N Dougherty 72 70 71 69; S Tinning (Den) 67 76 70 69; J Bickerton 71 68 73 70; R Gonzalez (Arg) 73 70 69 70; B Lane 71 71 69 71; P Price 72 72 68 70; I Garrido (Sp) 69 71 69 73; M McNulty (Zim) 67 69 71 75. 283 D J Russell 68 76 73 66; S Hansen (Den) 75 69 71 68; A Forsyth 71 68 73 71. 284 G Owen 71 72 75 66; G Clark 69 72 73 70; R Karlsson (Swe) 68 75 70 71. 285 M Farry (Fr) 71 72 73 69; A Oldcorn 68 75 72 70; A Marshall 72 70 72 71; T Gillis (US) 68 74 71 72; P Sjoland (Swe) 71 71 71 72; P Lawrie 73 70 68 74. 286 B Rumford (Aus) 72 70 74 70; D Carter 71 72 72 71; H Bjornstad (Nor) 72 71 72 71; J Van de Velde (Fr) 71 69 74 72; R Wessels (SA) 72 71 71 72; S Delagrange (Fr) 70 73 71 72; A Cabrera (Arg) 70 71 70 75. Selected: 287 S Gallacher 71 71 72 73. 288 M A Martin (Sp) 70 73 75 70; S Bebb 71 71 75 71; M Davis 69 75 72 72; J Rivero (Sp) 71 72 71 74. 289 G Brand Jnr 70 73 77 69; A Coltart 67 73 77 72. 290 J Spence 72 72 76 70; G Emerson 73 69 73 75. 292 B Davis 72 70 76 74; M Foster 69 75 74 74. 293 G Marks 71 70 77 75. 294 J M Olazabal (Sp) 68 73 75 78. 295 R Rafferty 68 72 79 76. 296 P Casey 71 72 74 79. 301 M Urquhart 73 71 82 75.