FINAL LEADERBOARDPadraig Harrington snatched his first European Order of Merit title after a dramatic final round at the Volvo Masters in Valderrama.
India's Jeev Milkha Singh was the shock winner of the tournament but all the attention was on a tumultuous battle for the European number one spot.
Paul Casey was in pole position until virtually the final shot of the day.
But when Sergio Garcia bogeyed the last Harrington moved into a tie for second place and the title was his.
"I feel sorry for Paul Casey, but I am just thrilled - it's always something I've wanted to do"
But, perhaps thinking he needed another birdie, he was then short with a bold approach to the long 17th and found the water.
The 35-year-old Dubliner, however, showed great courage to get up and down from the drop zone, holing an 8ft putt for par.
He then had to repeat the trick on the last after missing the fairway with his drive.
That left him with a 69 and one-under total but minutes later he was up to the second place he needed as Garcia bogeyed the 13th and 14th.
EUROPEAN ORDER OF MERIT
But then, in an incredible final act, the Spaniard holed a 12ft birdie putt on the 16th to join Singh in the lead at two under and that put Casey in the Order of Merit lead again.
"El Nino", however, then missed a 10ft birdie putt on the 17th and made a horrible mess of the last - missing the fairway with his drive, finding a bunker with his second and then leaving himself far too much to do with his par putt.
A bogey there took him back into second place alongside Harrington and England's Luke Donald.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"
He had trailed Casey, who carded a fighting 69 on Sunday, by £147,041 going into the tournament but when the Englishman struggled with food poisoning in the first round the battle was well and truly on.
The final margin was £23,476 and the most exciting finish to a European season since Colin Montgomerie pipped Sam Torrance on the final green in 1995.
"That was about my 30th second place finish today and it's the one I will remember," said Harrington who became the first Irishman since Ronan Rafferty in 1989 to win the Harry Vardon Trophy.
"Not to have won having been number one for so long is obviously disappointing"
"When I finished I did the maths and knew I couldn't afford a four-way tie (for second).
"I saw Sergio afterwards and told him that he owed me one - I lipped out from six feet in a play-off against him in Westchester (on the US Tour two years ago)."
Casey was five over after Thursday's first round but fought back over the next three rounds to finish on four over.
"I played as good as I could today and I'm happy about that," the 29-year-old Englishman said.
"Two-under is one of the best rounds of golf I've actually shot at Valderrama. So what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
David Howell, who could also have snatched the Order of Merit, was disconsolate when a final round of 71 left him on even par - two shots too many.
The Englishman, who had led the money list for most of the season until Casey's good form and his own injury problems conspired to knock him out of the top position, said: "It's bitterly disappointing.
"Not to have won having been number one for so long is obviously disappointing, but it's been a great year."
Robert Karlsson, the other player who flew to Spain with a chance of the money list crown, finished alongside the unfortunate Casey in 21st spot.
And while most at Valderrama were transfixed by the Order of Merit race, the 34-year-old Singh was calmly going about winning his second ever European Tour title and second title this season.
The Indian, ranked 147th in the world, could even afford to bogey the last as Garcia's late slip had also eased his route to his greatest triumph.