UBS Hong Kong Open

Last updated: 11th December 2006

Jose Manuel Lara was a relieved man after finally securing his first victory on The European Tour after capturing the UBS Hong Kong Open crown on Sunday.

The Spaniard, who has finished second on the circuit on four previous occasions, edged Filipino rookie Juvic Pagunsan by one shot to win the event.

He had finished top of the leaderboard after each round but was in danger of losing out once again after a brave performance from Pagunsan on the final day, who at on stage even took over at the top.

But a bogey on the 16th proved crucial and Lara birdied the same hole to retain the lead and he held on for the remaining two to become the third Spaniard to win at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

"It is my fifth year on The European Tour," he said. "I won on the Challenge Tour in the Warsaw Open and that was my first year as a professional.

"I have finished second four times, third four times and have been around many times and not got the trophy.

"This is my time and it is a great feeling."

Lara was congratulated by compatriot and the 2003 winner in Hong Kong Miguel Angel Jimenez after making the winning putt.

Jimenez had a chance himself of winning the trophy again after he followed up a good third round score of 66 to card a two-under-par 68 on Sunday, but in the end it was not enough to catch Lara.

And he added: "It is a great moment. Seeing Miguel coming onto the green. He knew it was a tough day for me.

"I have been close many times and he knew that. He said to me 'forget about everything and you are along on the course.'

"Miguel and Alejandro (Canizares) are very good friends and it helps."

The victory also takes a lot of pressure off Lara in his pursuit of victory on The European Tour and he continued: "You will not believe the amount of people who ask me when am I going to win but now I can say I have won.

"This is a very important moment in my life and to lead everyday is the most important thing, rather than coming from behind.

"I was thinking my first victory would be from coming from behind, making a good round but this is great and now I can say that I have won.

"Most of the media in Spain call me every week saying 'when are you going to win' and that put some pressure on me but I have won now so everything is good."

There was joy also for India's Jeev Milkha Singh, whose third-placed finish ensured he won the Asian Tour UBS Order of Merit.

"I am very excited," he said. "It is like a Christmas gift to me now. The year has been excellent and I will go to the Volvo Masters of Asia and have fun."

Singh finished alongside Jyoti Randhawa and Thongchai Jaidee with a 12-under-par 268.

Last year's winner Colin Montgomerie had a disappointing weekend as he carded par-70 on both days to finish 19th with a five-under-par 275.

The Scot had never really got going, carding a one-under-par 69 in the opening round and then a four under 66 on the second day.

Liang Wen-chong carded the first and only hole-in-one of the tournament on the 140 yard par-four 12th.

Michael Campbell finished on three-over-par 283 after a disappointing final round for the New Zealander.

He carded four bogeys on the front nine and then shot a double bogey on the 18th for a five-over-par finish on the day.

Collated final-round scores (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 70):

265 Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 64 66 66 69

266 Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 67 65 66 68

268 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 66 67 69 66, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 68 66 67 67, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 64 69 69 66

269 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 68 67 66 68, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 68 65 67

270 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 69 67 66, Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 68 67 67 68, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 71 69 63 67

271 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 65 66 69 71

272 Andrew Buckle (Aus) 67 65 72 68

274 Anthony Kang (USA) 70 70 68 66, Gary Simpson (Aus) 69 68 69 68, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 65 72 70 67, Angelo Que (Phi) 69 66 69 70, Simon Khan 66 68 68 72, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 69 67 71 67

275 Bryan Saltus (USA) 68 70 69 68, James Kingston (Rsa) 70 68 70 67, Colin Montgomerie 69 66 70 70, Scott Strange (Aus) 68 68 69 70, Cesar Monasterio (Arg) 68 70 67 70, Graeme Storm 65 73 71 66

276 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 68 68 68 72, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 67 67 70, Thammanoon Srirot (Tha) 68 66 74 68, Matthew Millar (Aus) 69 71 64 72, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 68 70 69 69, Peter Lawrie 71 64 71 70

277 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 69 68 75 65, Mark Pilkington 69 67 67 74, Wen-Tang Lin (Tai) 70 68 68 71, Lian-Wei Zhang (Chn) 69 63 70 75, Gary Emerson 70 69 67 71

278 Rick Gibson (Can) 68 71 68 71, Damien McGrane 68 66 73 71, Prom Meesawat (Tha) 69 69 73 67, Ron Won (USA) 68 68 70 72, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 66 71 73 68, Tom Whitehouse 70 70 70 68

279 Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 70 69 73 67, Jun-Won Park (Kor) 67 69 72 71, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 70 70 69 70, Gary Rusnak (USA) 68 71 71 69, KJ Choi (Kor) 71 69 70 69, Lee Sung (Hkg) 67 72 68 72

280 Adam Le Vesconte (Aus) 70 69 70 71, Jong Yul Suk (Kor) 66 70 72 72, James Stewart 67 73 75 65, Johan Axgren (Swe) 67 73 73 67, Adam Blyth (Aus) 66 68 73 73, Kane Webber (USA) 70 70 73 67

281 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 68 68 70 75, Anton Haig (Rsa) 69 65 71 76

282 David Carter 70 69 71 72, Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 67 71 74 70, Phillip Price 68 68 73 73, Simon Yates 67 70 69 76, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 71 68 68 75, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 70 70 71 71

283 Rahil Gangjee (Ind) 70 70 71 72, Michael Campbell (Nzl) 68 71 69 75

285 Clay Devers (USA) 68 72 71 74

287 Martin Rominger (Swi) 68 72 72 75

289 Scott Barr (Aus) 69 71 80 69

292 David Bransdon (Aus) 67 73 77 75