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Spaniard Alvaro Quiros clinched his second European Tour victory when he won the Portugal Masters title.

Quiros closed with a four-under 68 for a 19-under-par 269 to win by three strokes from Briton Paul Lawrie, who shot a 67.

Robert Karlsson produced a chequered final round 71 for a share of third place which still gave the Swede a large advanatage in Europe's order of merit race.

After the weather-affected third round finished early on Sunday morning, Quiros held a one-stroke lead. Although he was briefly caught by Briton Ross Fisher, he was never overtaken.

Two birdies to finish enhanced the 25-year-old Cadiz man's margin of victory as he followed up his South African Dunhill Champioship maiden win last year to collect the 500,000 euros.

While Karlsson and Fisher both erred down the home stretch, Lawrie, with his best finish since the 2005 Madrid Open where he was also runner-up. He began with a run of four birdies in five holes and the 1999 British Open champion subsequently headed Karlsson, Fisher (71) and last year's winner Steve Webster of Britain (68) by a stroke when he birdied the last.

Victory for Quiros followed a harrowing year in which he injured his wrist badly following victory in his European Tour debut event.

Powerful driving and some incisive putting in the final round ensured the young Spaniard is back as a force.

"I hit the ball very well for the first three rounds but my putting was amazing in the last round, my best club today. I also had a lot of luck with the putting," Quiros said.

"It's great to win again after all the trouble of last year. My main target coming here this week was to try to qualify for the Volvo Masters and now I've done much better than that."

Karlsson, now 297,424 euros ahead of Padraig Harrington on Europe's moneylist, with just the Volvo Masters to come for them both (first prize 708,330 euros) said his final round had not been up to scratch.

The Swede began the afternoon a stroke adrift of Quiros but nudged close to the Spaniard only after coming back from mistakes on the front nine with birdies on the 13th and 14th.

When he hit his approach into water on the long 17th to bogey, his victory chance went.

"I didn't play that great today and hit a few indifferent shots," Karlsson said. "It was a poorish swing on 17 and that cost me badly.

"But up to then I played well and I've got a bit closer to winning the order of merit. There'll be a lot to play for now at Valderrama (Volvo Masters)."

Lee Westwood is also not out of the order of merit running. The Briton closed with a 4-under 68 to be nine under and take a tie for 16th place, leaving him 466,606 Euro behind Karlsson.

Reuters