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Robert Karlsson clinched a timely first win of the season when he took the Mercedes Benz Championship title, the day before flying to Kentucky to help take on the United States in the Ryder Cup.

A closing one-under-par 71 at Gut Larchenhof for a four-round 13-under-par 275 total earned the Swede his eighth European Tour victory. He finished two strokes better than a charging Francesco Molinari of Italy (70).

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, Karlsson's Ryder Cup team mate, finished third for a second successive week, four strokes behind Karlsson.

Karlsson went into the final day three shots ahead of the field and a birdie at the first quickly made up the stroke he had lost the previous day. He was penalised after the third round when it was decided his ball had moved when his putter was grounded on the second green on Saturday.

After allowing his final day advantage to be cut to only two shots with bogeys on the third and fourth holes, Karlsson regained full control, extending his lead to six strokes by the seventh.

Molinari refused to allow Karlsson an easy passage, though, and a bogey on the short 16th reduced the Swede's lead over his Italian playing-partner to only two strokes to cause a few flutters.

Molinari had run in four successive birdies from the 12th to keep the pressure on. However Karlsson refused to be denied victory this time after a season of near-misses and pars on 17 and 18 were enough to earn him the $475,000 first prize.

"I had to try to rise to the challenge from Francesco but it's not easy when he's holing putts from 40ft," Karlsson said.

"But it was good for this week coming. These are the tests you have to learn from...

"It would have felt a bit strange to walk off at the end of this season without a win."

Reuters