Damien McGrane put on a short game master class to clinch his first win on the European Tour at the Volvo China Open by 9 shots. With the course at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club playing tough all week, the torrential rain that fell on Sunday meant that bedraggled players were far more likely to card a bogey than a birdie.

While McGrane spent as much time as any on the dangerous rough, where the ball was far more likely to disappear into the ankle deep greenery than sit up kindly, it was McGrane’s delicate touch around the green and superb putting that took him into the final day with a 3 shot lead. If anything, it appeared that the inclement weather agreed with the Irishman as all around him his fellow competitors were carding rounds in the mid to high 70’s while he eased his way to a 73 and an easy victory.

McGrane’s previous brush with fame was being partnered with Tiger Woods at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year but the 96 putt total and 4 chip ins for the event made light of what were very difficult conditions on a course that held up superbly despite the rain.

In an event noticeably missing many of the European Tour’s biggest names being so close after the Masters, it was expected that Markus Brier would successfully defend his title but he could only finish 5th, a full 10 shots back from McGrane who became the European Tour’s 7th first time winner in the 2008 season.