It was a great day for Scandinavian golf at the 21st and final Volvo Masters as first Dane Søren Kjeldsen won the biggest tournament title of his career to date with Swede Robert Karlsson clinching the European Tour Order of Merit.
The sun finally shone on the 21st and final Volvo Masters and taking his place in the sun was Dane Søren Kjeldsen, who claimed the biggest title of his career to date and the €708,330 first prize.
The 33-year-old from Aalborg became the first Dane ever to win the Volvo Masters title and the 20th player to have his name on the iconic trophy.
"I'm thrilled, really pleased," he said afterwards, explaining, "It was a slightly different kind of challenge from last year when I picked-up seven shots over the final round to force myself into a play-off as I had a lead to defend and Martin Kaymer started to put a bit of pressure on me."
He continued, "I birdied 11 and 12 and they were key as it puts some daylight between me and the field but you just never know at Valderrama as there is trouble around every corner."
Young German Martin Kaymer improved on his sixth place last year to win €369,000 for his joint second place with Englishman Anthony Wall, whilst Spain's Sergio García continued a great record in the Volvo masters without winning it, his tie for fourth place his seventh top-10 finish in 10 Volvo Masters starts.
Meanwhile, the second part of the Scandinavian success story, Swede Robert Karlsson became the first player form Sweden to win the European Tour Order of Merit, edging-out double ‘Major' champion Padraig Harrington by €273,639.
"Interest in golf in Sweden is huge so it's great and I've won this, so it's great and having Søren Kjeldsen winning the Volvo Masters makes it a great weekend for Scandinavian golf."
All eyes now look east to China, not only for the start of the Race to Dubai, which begins in Shanghai next week and to Beijing in April and the 2009 Volvo China Open.
Then it's back to Andalucia next autumn for the first Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesín but it's over-and-out for the Volvo Masters, 21 great years of golf on Andalucia.
