SHANGHAI, (AFP) - An overjoyed Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano capitalised on a disastrous triple bogey by Sweden's Henrik Stenson to win the Asian Open in a play-off Sunday, calling his victory "a miracle". The Swede looked to be coasting with a three stroke cushion when his ball hit a tree on the ninth and bounced into the water. It cost him three shots and opened the door to a chasing pack that also included Colin Montgomerie, who ended the tournament joint third after a gritty 68, alongside Jose-Filipe Lima of Portugal.
Aside from the horror ninth, the turning point came on the 16th when Spain's Fernandez-Castano holed a 30-yard chip from the sand as Stenson dropped a shot.
It helped push the showdown into a play-off which the Spaniard won on the first extra hole to take the $300,000 winners cheque with a seven-under par total of 281.
"Winning the Asian Open is a great thing but when I look at the leaderboard and see who is on it, it is unbelievable -- a dream come true, a miracle," said the 25-year-old of his second European Tour win.
His first was at the Dutch Open last year.
"It's been a great round. I was steady on the front nine and the putts started dropping on the back nine. It is a day I won't forget."
It has been a profitable fortnight in China for the Madrid native, who finished second behind India's Jeev Milkha Singh at last week's Volvo China Open.
He said he would use the money to buy a ring for his girlfriend Alethea whom he wants to marry.
"I think I'll get married, although I haven't asked her yet," he said, adding that "the whole weekend has been beautiful for me."
With a victory under his belt and a glint in his eye, Fernandez-Castano heads back to Spain on Monday to prepare for the Spanish Open next week where he is expecting plenty of pressure to do well.
"Everyone will be expecting me to win but I'm really tired after being in contention on both Sunday's over the past two weeks," he said.
"If it wasn't the Spanish Open, I'd withdraw and rest."
Stenson was left to rue a glorious missed opportunity after holding an outright lead since his opening 67 on Thursday until his game was undone by the tree.
"The ninth hole blew it for me," he admitted.
"It was unfortunate but that's the way these things go sometimes. It's easy to feel I let it slip away but I didn't really do that. I'm happy with the way I kept trying after the triple bogey.
"I can't knock my performance. I just wasn't getting the breaks."
And despite the agony of losing, his performance reinforced his growing reputation as a new force in the game after announcing himself to the world in 2005 with a series of impressive performances in the year's biggest events.
He carried his form into 2006, winning the Qatar Masters in January and finishing third at The Players Championship in Florida last month, an event billed as the unofficial fifth major.
For Monty, it was a welcome return to form and he was unlucky not to be in the playoff.
It was the big Scot's best round in months and ended a miserable run of five missed cuts that included the US Masters and Players Championships.
Englishmen Paul Casey and Simon Dyson, along with New Zealand's Mahal Pearce finished joint fifth.
Terry Pilkadaris of Australia, his compatriots David Brandson and Peter O'Malley, along with Paul Lawrie of Scotland ended a shot further adrift.
