Sweden`s Noren chalks up maiden European Tour win

Crans-Sur-Sierre: Sweden`s Alex Noren held off a determined challenge from Britain`s former winner Bradley Dredge to claim his maiden title at the European Masters on Sunday.

A closing five-under-par 66 for a 20-under 264 total, left Noren two strokes better than 2006 Swiss champion Dredge (65).The 27-year-old winner from Stockholm was pushed hard for his first success, only a chip-in eagle late on finally shaking off Dredge. Noren earned USD 471,000 for his victory and also picked up the maximum 333,330 points in Europe`s first Ryder Cup counting event of a year-long campaign. Noren`s two-shot overnight lead over the field going into the final round was cancelled out by Dredge`s blistering run around the turn in which he fired an eagle and three birdies in five holes. However, the Welshman could do nothing about Noren`s eagle on the long 15th when he pitched in from a bunker to re-establish his two-shot lead. Three safe pars earned Noren his title in his third full year on tour and got the Swede off to the best possible start in the Ryder Cup race. "I`ve got to stay there now," Noren told reporters, "I always thought about playing one day (in the Ryder Cup) but I didn`t know a win would come so soon." A worrying spell with wrist and knee injuries, following his previous best finish of second in the Indonesian Open earlier in the season, was finally forgotten. "I felt so good about my game but I knew the guys were going to post low rounds," added Noren. "Bradley`s short game was unbelievable. But when he eagled the ninth and then chipped in on the 11th it was good for my round as well because it made me more determined. I was so happy with the 15th, though." Runner-up Dredge, who has said the 2010 Ryder Cup match in his home country Wales is his chief career target, could console himself with a 222,220-points haul. Fellow-Briton Ross McGowan (65) finished a further stroke adrift of Noren. Spanish 45-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) took fourth place on 15-under, a shot better than the Asian Tour`s top finisher in the first co-sanctioned event, Thongchai Jaidee (67) of Thailand. Jaidee`s finish ensured he stayed in the elite top-15 of the Race to Dubai that will share out a $10-million bonus pool in the tour`s finale. Bureau Report