BMW Masters: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano wins

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano shows off the trophy after winning the BMW Masters. Picture: Getty

Fernandez-Castano chipped in from across the green for birdie on the tough 17th hole at Lake Malaren to build a three-shot lead. Then, he let memories of Jean Van de Velde’s collapse creep into his head, and only when the 33-year-old Spaniard holed a two-foot putt for double bogey did he exhale. “I made it a little more complicated,” Fernandez-Castano said.

He still closed with a 4-under 68 for a one-shot win over Francesco Molinari (64) and Thongchai Jaidee (66). Luke Guthrie, the 23-year-old American playing in Asia for the first time, didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole and closed with a 71 to finish alone in fourth, two shots behind. Scotland’s Scott Jamieson bagged a top-ten finish as he closed with a 70 to finish four behind the winner.

Fernandez-Castano gave Spain its first European Tour win this year, extending the streak to 20 years of at least one Spanish victory. The victory gets Fernandez-Castano into the HSBC Champions next week in Shanghai, critical for him to stay in the hunt for the Race to Dubai. He moved up from No 35 to No 4 in the standings, and the World Golf Championship offers $8.5 million in prize money.

He won €851,346 at the BMW Masters, putting him well ahead on the European Points portion of the Ryder Cup standings. It also puts him into the top 50 in the world, which is critical for the Spaniard as he embarks on his first full season on the PGA Tour.

He will get in at least two WGCs, and staying in the top 50 would get him into the majors. Fernandez-Castano is moving his family to Miami in December. “Just at the perfect time,” he said. “There’s never a bad time for a victory, let’s put it that way. But this has been just the perfect one.”

Lake Malaren was set up for low scoring, with only a mild wind and several tees moved forward. Defending champion Peter Hanson had the low round of the tournament, posting a 63. Molinari played the final six holes in six under and was tied for the lead at one point.

Everyone seemed to take advantage except the last two groups, setting up endless possibilities. Fernandez-Castano started to seize control with a wedge into three feet for birdie on the par-5 seventh, and another wedge to short range for birdie on the next hole. That gave him a two-shot lead, and he kept his distance from Guthrie by matching the American’s birdies on the two par 5s on the back.

The chip-in for birdie on the 17th sealed the victory. At least that’s how it looked. Fernandez-Castano felt a little too comfortable, deciding to play it so conservatively down the 18th hole that it nearly cost him. His tee shot cleared the water and went into a bunker, and he blasted out some 30 yards to avoid a bad shot that might hit the lip. That left him 168 yards for his third shot, and he aimed so far away from water and the flag that he wound up in another bunker.

“The only thing I was thinking about on the 18th was Jean Van de Velde,” he said, referring to the Frenchman who made triple bogey on the final hole of the 1999 Open at Carnoustie and lost in a play-off. “There’s so many things that go through your mind. Jean is a good friend of mine.

“I just didn’t want to mess up, and I almost did. It’s a weird feeling. I’m not used to having a three-shot advantage when I’m playing such a big tournament like this.”

His bunker shot by the green was his best on the final hole, leaving him two putts from eight feet for the win. He looked tentative on the first putt, and it rolled two feet away, just enough to make him nervous.

That was more drama than he needed, though Fernandez-Castano still managed to win for the seventh time in his career.

Peter Uihlein made four birdies on the back nine for a 67 that gave him a share of fifth place with Thomas Bjorn, keeping both of them in the top 10 on the European Tour money list with three more events before the World Tour Championship in Dubai.