Price clinched his first top five finish this season

The Welshman had shared a three-shot lead with Darren Clarke going into the final round but needed a birdie four at the last to clinch the biggest prize of his career.

Price finished on 16 under par, one shot ahead of joint runners-up Scotland's Alastair Forsyth and Zimbabwe's Mark McNulty.

The �333,330 cheque moved Price up to sixth place in the European Order of Merit.

Price was without a top-five finish since he beat Phil Mickelson to help Europe lift the Ryder Cup at the Belfry last September - and he had fallen to 157th in the world.

The 36-year-old appeared to be cruising to only his third European win when he led by three with five to play.

But then came bogeys on the 14th and 17th - he missed from two feet there - and up ahead Forsyth and then McNulty birdied the par-five 18th to catch him at 15 under par.

FINAL LEADERBOARD (GB&Ire unless stated) -16 Phillip Price -15 Alastair Forsyth, Mark McNulty (Zim) -13 Gary Evans -12 Eduardo Romero (Arg), Darren Clarke -10 Andrew Coltart, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) -9 Lee Westwood, Barry Lane, Angel Cabrera (Arg)

Price then went over the green at the 18th but recovered with a perfect chip to within two feet of the pin and putted out for victory.

Price's previous wins were against comparatively weak fields, and for considerably less money, in Portugal.

"This is an incredible achievement for me," he said. "I've been playing well lately, but finishing badly.

"But this time I hung in there and just managed to keep my head down."

Price's Ryder Cup team-mate Darren Clarke, who had shared the lead at the halfway stage, started the final round with a birdie at the second and an eagle at the third.

But then three straight bogeys stopped the Ulsterman's charge and he had to come up with an eagle at the last for a share of fifth.

Forsyth finished runner-up for the second time in three weeks after a final round of 68.

"I left myself a lot to do, but battled back and I can't complain. I played great," he said.

McNulty, who at 49 was attempting to become the oldest winner in Tour history, also finished with a 68.

"I think that's the best I've played for five years. I dropped only three shots all week," he said.

Former European number one Lee Westwood finished joint ninth for his first top ten finish in almost two years.