Golf: Maiden European Tour victory for City born Welshman

A team-mate of Rory McIlroy – and also Lloyd Saltman – at the 2007 Walker Cup, the 24-year-old, who moved to Wales early in his life, is now a European Tour winner as well after taking the Hassan Trophy in Morocco by two shots yesterday.

Davies, in his first full season on the circuit after twice failing to come through the qualifying school, could not quite believe it after he finished a superb 25-under-par at Royal Des Es Salam.

"I'm a little bit lost at the moment – this is all completely surreal to me," said the former British Boys' champion and American college star.

"I didn't really think very much out there. It was all a bit of a blur."

Told about his eight birdies from the fourth to the 14th, the Bridgend player admitted: "I didn't know I did that.

"I just felt I could make every putt and felt in control of my swing. That was the best I've hit it all week."

Davies closed with a seven-under-par 66 to overtake 54-hole leader Louis Oosthuizen, the South African being forced to settle for his fourth runners-up finish on the European Tour.

Bathgate's Stephen Gallacher closed with a 72 for a share of 19th on ten-under, two shots ahead of David Drysdale (72). Peter Whiteford, the only other Scot to make the cut, finished on seven-under after a closing 73.

After picking up his biggest cheque of the season so far, Gallacher has climbed into the top 100 at 98th on the Race to Dubai, with Drysdale 72nd in those rankings.

In America, former world No.2 Jim Furyk grabbed his 14th US Tour victory, but first since 2007, when he won the Transitions Championship by one shot from Korean KJ Choi in Florida.

After a thunderstorm delay of almost four hours the 39-year-old American scored a last round 69, two under par, over the Copperhead course at Palm Harbor's Innisbrook Resort. Furyk did end last year with a victory at the Chevron World Challenge, but that is not an official Tour stop and he had said: "I want to win an event out here on the PGA Tour."

After breaking that drought, he said: "It's not really a monkey off my back from a perspective of 'boy, I can't wait to not answer that question again'. It's just that I want to go out and win a golf tournament."

Luke Donald's 71 put him in a tie for sixth, while Padraig Harrington, the halfway leader, climbed back to joint second with an opening birdie, but fell back to joint eighth on six under after a 72.

Justin Rose had a 71 to be in a share of 13th place one further back and so is still outside the world's top 50 a week before they are invited to The Masters at Augusta. The ex-European No.1, who was third at the Honda Classic two weeks ago, will try again in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill starting on Thursday.