McCarron won by three shots after carding final rounds of par 72 and one-over par 73 in gusty conditions.

The event is seen as final preparations before the Masters begins on Thursday.

And South African Ernie Els will be hoping his luck changes - and quickly.

Els recorded his second worst score in nearly 450 rounds of golf.

"That tested my patience to the limit," said Els, his confidence battered again by the wind after three weeks in which he has broken 70 only once.

But McCarron was delighted after collecting the �427,000 title for the second time in five years.

Controversially he is not in the Masters this time - after Augusta National dropped the rule whereby all US Tour winners qualify.

Afterwards McCarron said: "This was just an absolute marathon.

"I had some trouble coming in. It was like that four years ago. I missed a few short putts then too."

Disappointing

His eight-under-par total of 280 left him three ahead of Canadian left-hander Mike Weir.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson was in a group a stroke further back.

The conditions blew Swede Pierre Fulke, Europe's leading money-winner this season, to rounds of 78 and 77 on his US Tour debut.

At eight over he was one of the few players to finish behind Els.

Jesper Parnevik finished on one over and Jose Maria Olazabal, the only other European to survive the halfway cut, closed with a disappointing 77 for three over.