Garcia’s first title win in three years ‘was for Seve’

“That was for Seve,” said the 31-year-old after blowing the rest of the field away on the Mediterraneo course in Castellon where he first won the club championship when he was just 12.

With a closing 63 Garcia, one over par after ten holes of his first round, finished 27 under in his first appearance in Spain since Ballesteros died of brain cancer in May.

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay closed with a 65 for an excellent tie for third.

Although Garcia’s performance will not enter the official record books because placing on the fairways was allowed all week, it has been beaten only once on the European Tour.

Ernie Els was 29 under in winning the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic.

It was also the biggest win of the Tour season by three and there have only been two wider margins recorded on the circuit – Tiger Woods took the 2000 US Open by 15 and Els the 2005 Asian Open by 13.

As for his own career, none of his previous 18 wins as a professional had been by more than four strokes.

Happiness off the course with a new girlfriend has helped to lift Garcia out of the slump he suffered when Greg Norman’s daughter Morgan-Leigh ended their relationship two years ago.

He dropped from second in the world to outside the top 75, but is now inside the top 35 again.

Tired after a long stint in America, Garcia took four weeks off before the tournament and said: “They were mother’s milk for me – obviously they worked.

“It’s hard to say that you expect to fire like I did, but I was feeling good and I’ve been improving all year.”

So he has. He had top-12 finishes in the last three majors and lost a five-hole play-off to compatriot Pablo Larrazabal at the BMW International Open in Munich in June. It was another Spaniard who came runner-up to him this time. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, out of action for much of the season with back trouble, had a 64 to take second place on 16 under, one in front of Ramsay and Swede Alex Noren (64).

They all knew teeing off, however, they were probably playing for second place.

Even though Fernandez-Castano went to the turn in a best-of-the-week 29 with an eagle and five birdies, Garcia had resumed eight in front.

And, with birdies of his own at the fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth, he was cruising.

The former Ryder Cup star, who has to be fancied for a return to the side after this, started for home with two more, then picked up further shots at the 14th and 15th.

His one error came when he failed to get up and down from sand on the 17th, but his approach to the 424-yard last almost went in for eagle.

“I would like to thank not only my family and friends, but also my sponsors, everyone that’s around me, for supporting me through two tough years,” he said.

“They have stuck with me and believed in me, and I’m happy to be able to pay them back with this victory.

“At the beginning of the week there’s always a little extra pressure because you want to do well in front of your home fans and on your home course.

“But I felt really good and it showed. Hopefully, I can keep moving forward, but there are still some things I can improve on.”