He was one shot ahead of the Philippines' Juvic Pagunsan and he had hit his tee shot in the rough.

Faced with a tricky downhill lie, he looked up and saw the green. He also remembered the woes of James Kingston, who last year handed the title to Colin Montgomerie by going into the trees.

'When I was walking to the 18th, I was thinking 'Every day I have split the fairway in two'. But today I was tense and I hooked it left. From there I hit what for me was the best shot of the week.'

Lara held his nerve, hit the edge of the green with his approach and two putted for par, a one-stroke victory and a slice of history.

'The ball stopped on the edge,' he said. 'That was the shot of the tournament.'

A final-round 69 gave the 29-year-old Spaniard a 15-under 265 total and his first victory on the European Tour. And after a string of near misses - he has four seconds and four thirds on his resume - his delight was palpable.

He doffed his cap, raised his arm and was soon in the embrace of his compatriots Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alejandro Canizares, who had gathered beside the green to join in the celebrations.

'You wouldn't believe the number of people who have asked me when will I win,' said Lara. 'Now I can say I have won.'

The second decisive shot of the tournament came at yesterday's par-five 13th, when Pagunsan's tee-shot found the bunker. And while his ever-smiling demeanour might suggest otherwise, what happened next probably kept the 28-year-old up late into the night.

'I think the three-wood he played from the bunker was a mistake,' Lara said.

Pagunsan's ball flew about 30 yards and while he survived to save par the damage had been done. 'I made a birdie and that gave me the chance,' said Lara.

He then cashed in on the par-four 16th. Lara birdied; Pagunsan bogeyed. And all Lara had to do was hold his nerve until the end.

It was a fitting climax to a day of high drama. A huge gallery followed the leading pair and they were not disappointed as they went toe-to-toe for the whole 18 holes.

And although he had to leave town last night, Lara vowed the celebrations would indeed be significant. 'I have promised to buy a big dinner tonight at the airport - and I will pay for everything,' said Lara. 'And there will be a big party in Spain. My father said if I win he will buy US$250 bottles of Rioja, so six of them will be waiting for me.'

One man who might be ruing his luck is Lara's regular caddy. 'He is in Argentina now on holiday,' said Lara. 'He must be tearing his hair out. He followed me on the Middle East leg of the tour because he said he thought I would win there but then he went on holidays.'

His place was taken by a local caddie and Lara vowed to give him a decent share of the US$$333,330 he takes home as the winner.

The leading pair were chased home all the way yesterday. The Indian duo of Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa both closed with 66s to share third place with Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.

Jimenez, meanwhile, saw a bogey on the last cost him a share of outright third and near enough to US$40,000.