Martin claims final Dunhill Cup for Spain

Miguel Angel Martin, the man who kicked off Europe's Ryder Cup team three years ago, brought the curtain down on the 1.5 million dollars Alfred Dunhill Cup as Spain retained their title at St. Andrew's today.

The competition is set to be replaced next year by a 5.1 million dollars pro-am. But Spain finished with a flourish beating South Africa 2-1 when Martin sank an outrageous 50-foot putt on the last, and then David

Frost three-putted the first extra hole. "Miguel Angel may not be big in size, but he has the heart of a lion," said a jubilant captain Jose Maria Olazabal. "The way he came back from double-bogeying the 17th was incredible. It's been a great week and to win like this is the icing on the cake," he added.

It all boiled down to the Frost-Martin play-off once Miguel Angel Jimenez beat Retief Goosen 70-72 and twice US Open champion Ernie Els defeated twice US Masters champion Olazabal, just as he did in the 1998 final between the two teams. Frost led by one with two to play and in a comedy of errors both went over the green at the fearsome 17th and ran up double bogey sixes.

When Martin's pitch to the last struck the flag and spun back into the Valley of Sin it looked all over. But, just like Costantino Rocca at the 1995 Open, the 38-year-old from Madrid sank his putt from off the green. Unlike Rocca, who still went on to lose to John Daly, Martin went on to be the hero.

It was hard luck, though, on Els, whose 68 to beat Olazabal by two meant he finished the week with a 20 under par aggregate, equalling the record in the competition set by Nick Faldo over four rounds in 1988, and matched by Nick Price over five rounds five years ago. He should have beaten it, missing from less than two feet on the last, but victory was his by then, making him the most successful player in the event's history. He won all his five games this time to take his total to 26 victories in 36 games. They will stand as records for all-time unless the tournament makes a return at some time in the future.

Reuters

Filed by Shane Murray