Peter Hanson won the BMW Masters by a shot from World No 1 Rory McIlroy

Peter Hanson: held his nerve down the stretch

Sweden's Peter Hanson won the BMW Masters by a shot from world No 1 Rory McIlroy after a closing 67 at Lake Malaren in Shanghai.

Hanson started the day a shot clear of his Ryder Cup teammate and kept his nerve down the final stretch to hold on for the biggest victory of his career against a field that included four of the world's top five players.

England's world No 3 Luke Donald was third, four shots behind Hanson after a 66, while another Ryder Cup star, Ian Poulter, was fourth after a closing 65.

Victory earned the 35-year-old Hanson €888,560, the biggest cheque of his preofessional career.

It will also represent redemption of a sort, after he was left frustrated after a personally disappointing Ryder Cup in which he only played twice and failed to pick up even half a point.

A thrilling finish was in prospect when McIlroy eagled the 15th, birdied the next to narrow the gap to two and then saw Hanson find sand at the short 16th.

The world number 25 saved par from 15 feet, but still had a scare when his approach to the last came down in the bank of a bunker.

After being refused relief when the referee ruled the ball was not plugged, he did well to chip to 10 feet and two putts for bogey were good enough, after McIlroy had just missed his 15-foot birdie attempt from the back fringe.

Money list

By claiming the first prize in Shanghai, Hanson has also given himself a chance to deny McIlroy the same European and PGA Tour money list double achieved by Donald last season.

With four more weeks to go he leaps from seventh to second in the European standings.

Although the Northern Irishman's runner-up finish means he still has a lead of more than £650,000, the winner's cheque is more than that in this week's World Championship event at Mission Hills in Shenzhen - and McIlroy is not playing.

"I'm going to try to keep this form going," Hanson said.

Justin Rose, now down to third in the Race to Dubai standings, tied for sixth, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell were joint 11th and Lee Westwood and Nicolas Colsaerts finished in joint 14th.