European captain Mark James showed all the Ryder Cup hopefuls how it should be done with a brilliant second place finish yesterday.
The 45-year-old from Ilkley fired a superb final-round 67 to finish just a stroke behind Spain's Pedro Linhart, who held his nerve to card a closing 71 for a 12-under total of 276 to win his maiden European Tour title and the £58,328 first prize.
Padraig Harrington had his best finish of the season, thanks largely to a fine, six-under-par 66 on Saturday. A 71 yesterday was enough to see the Dubliner finish in joint fourth for £12,000.
Des Smyth also closed with a 71 to lie on two-over-par 290.
James promised there would be no easing off in the next few months despite the pressures on him leading up to the 33rd Ryder Cup against America in Boston in September.
"I'll keep playing well every week," said James, who pocketed £38,878 as runner-up. "I have to if I want to get an exemption into the Open - and I can't afford to retire!
"I'm just pleased to have done well as a player. I'm a full-time player, not just cup captain. "I know it was said the captain's game can be affected, but I think about other things on the golf course. My concentration has been very good."
It certainly needed to be during a nervous finish to the £350,000 tournament that ended in bright sunshine after three days of delays for rain and fog on the Santo da Serra course, 2,300 ft above sea level.
James raced to the turn in four-under 32, and found himself tied for the lead when Linhart, playing in the group behind, bogeyed the seventh and eighth.
From then there was never more than a shot between the pair.
The key hole proved to be the 17th. James holed a 20 ft birdie putt to join Linhart on 11 under, but as he stood outside the clubhouse the Spaniard produced a birdie of his own to take the crucial one-shot lead.
James then holed a tricky par putt on the last to finish on 11 under and looked on as Linhart made a solid four to claim victory.
Linhart breathed a huge sigh of relief after surviving a nerve-wracking last round to break his tour duck.
"It was a struggle, but I came through at the end," said Linhart, who is of American descent but was born in Las Palmas and took out Spanish citizenship in the 80s.
"I was watching the leader-board closely towards the finish and I knew I needed one more birdie to win it. I had a chance on the 16th and then hit a seven-iron to 15 ft on the 17th and holed it. That was a real pressure shot.
"I had a couple of chances to win in the past, so it's a good feeling to have finally won. I always felt I could do it, but you don't know until you have the trophy in your hand."
David Howell tightened his grip on the European number one spot with his third-place finish. The £22,000 prize money increased the 23-year-old's lead at the top of the Order of Merit and moved him from eighth to seventh in the Ryder Cup table.
