Poulter will travel to next week's USPGA in a confident mood

The 27-year-old Englishman fired a 66 on Sunday for a 22-under-par total.

Montgomerie, who carded a final-round 68, missed a 15-foot birdie putt at the 18th to force a play-off, and is still without a victory since his win at the Volvo Masters last November.

Montgomerie's playing partner Hansen birdied the last to claim a share of third place with Scotland's Stephen Gallacher and France's Gregory Havret.

Poulter's win, the fifth of his career and his second this season, lifted him to fifth in the 2003 Order of Merit.

It's a good start to the back end of the year because the front end did not exist - winning is nice but if you can't win you finish second Colin Montgomerie

"It was nice to let the golf actually do all the work and stop people talking about the hair," said Poulter, who usually has red streaks in his hair in honour of his beloved Arsenal but was blond and dark brown this week.

"I have massive expectations of the PGA now," he said, referring to the last Major of the season beginning on Thursday at Oak Hill in New York.

"I'm very, very confident the way I played this week. I really hit some fantastic shots all week and very few off line.

"Obviously the course next week is going to be a lot tougher, but if I keep hitting the middle of the fairways and holing some putts I'm really looking forward to a big couple of weeks."

Despite his second runner-up finish this season - the 26th of his career - Montgomerie will be encouraged by his first display since his withdrawal from the Open with a wrist injury last month.

"It's coming back and it's good after three weeks off that I have competed well," said Montgomerie.

NORDIC OPEN LEADERBOARD (GB&Ire unless stated) -22 Ian Poulter -21 Colin Montgomerie -20 Soren Hansen (Den), Stephen Gallacher, Gregory Havret (Fra) -19 Brian Davis -18 David Gilford Final scores in full

"It's a good start to the back end of the year because the front end did not exist.

"Winning is nice but if you can't win you finish second. To be two under after the first day and get to 21 under is very good."

Poulter began the day one shot off the pace, but birdies at the 2nd and 8th got him into a tie for the lead alongside Brian Davis, who would finish in sixth place on 19 under, and Montgomerie.

That duo both then bogeyed the 9th, and Poulter's birdie from four feet on the 11th took him two ahead of the field.

The gap was quickly closed to a single shot. But Poulter doubled it again with two putts for birdie on the par-five 12th.

Once more Montgomerie halved the lead, only to see Poulter go two ahead again with a birdie at the 15th.

Montgomerie closed the gap to one shot with a birdie on the 17th - and with Poulter failing to birdie either of the closing par-fives for the third day out of four, the seven-time European number one had a chance to force extra holes.

But he was unable to reach the green in two and his pitch from a bank of long grass came up short. The ensuing putt never really threatened the hole and Poulter was left to celebrate a well-deserved victory.