Dutch Open: Little-known Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano emulated his idol Seve Ballesteros by winning the Dutch Open at Hilversumsche yesterday, finishing two shots ahead of Gary Emerson of England.

The 24-year-old from Madrid, ranked 421st in the world, claimed his maiden European Tour title in only his 16th event as a professional - becoming just the third rookie to win on the tour after Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia.

Trailing Emerson by one at the start of play, he shot a final-round 67 to finish 11 under at the tight Hilversumsche Golf Club and take the first prize of 250,000.

Damien McGrane closed with a 68 for a 277 total to finish well up the leaderboard. His fellow-Irishman Peter Lawrie closed with a 70 for 284.

Fernandez-Castano was, naturally, delighted with his victory: "It was one of those days when everything came so easy; the putter, the driver . . . the putts were just dropping. It didn't matter where I aimed it, it just went straight into the hole."

The two key holes on the front nine were the second and the ninth, where the Spaniard had two-shot swings go in his favour.

Fernandez-Castano bogeyed the first to give Emerson a lead of two. But at the par-four next, he holed a two-foot birdie putt to tie the lead after the Englishman bogeyed by overshooting the fairway despite playing an iron off the tee.

Fernandez-Castano produced a superb eagle at the third, his seven-iron approach from 161 yards landing straight in the hole. He holed a 40-foot birdie putt at the eighth to go 11 under.

The Spaniard managed a 25-foot putt to go to the turn in 31 at 12 under, and when Emerson missed a four-foot par effort the lead was three shots.

It became four at the next after both missed the green, but only Emerson failed to get up and down. Fernandez-Castano then holed a 20-foot putt to save par on the 11th and maintain his lead.

Emerson chipped in for eagle at the 485-yard 12th, and Fernandez-Castano three-putted for par to reduce the lead to two.

However, the Englishman carved his tee shot into the trees at the 14th and bogeyed. So did his partner, but Emerson dropped another shot at the 16th to hand a three-shot lead back to the Spaniard. It was too much to overhaul, even at the par-five last, where the Spaniard parred and Emerson birdied to finish second outright.