Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson, six times a runner-up on the European Tour, finally hit the jackpot as a final round of 64 gave him a two-shot win at the Omega Hong Kong Open.

The 28-year-old secured the US$113,050 first prize at Fanling with a 16-under-par total of 260, two clear of compatriot Henrik Nystrom and Argentinian Jorge Berendt.

More importantly for Jacobson, who finished 30th on last season's Volvo Order of Merit, his win ensured a playing exemption that will take him up to the end of the 2005 season.

Beginning the day a shot behind overnight leaders Berendt, Nystrom and Stephen Dodd, Jacobson fired four birdies in an outward half of 30.

He dropped a shot at the 11th but bounced back with birdies at the long 12th and the 14th and parred in from there, raising his fist to the skies as he sank a 10-footer for par on the last to virtually assure victory.

Welshman Dodd, who had also been eyeing his maiden tour title, had been jockeying for the lead with Jacobson for much of the day but effectively saw his chance slip away with a missed 18-inch putt on the 15th.

The blunder proved expensive, as he finished back in joint fourth on 13-under 263 alongside Scotland's Gary Orr and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen. Zimbabwean Tony Johnstone was seventh on 12 under.

For the flamboyant Jacobson, the relief that comes with every professional's first title - especially after having been so close several times before - was evident.

"Of course I'm delighted - it's just taken a bit longer than I was hoping for!" he said.

"I've been close so many times before that it's a big relief. If you keep working hard then you give yourself enough chances and sooner or later you're going to win.

"But at the same time the longer it takes the more difficult it becomes.

"I felt fine out there. The only mistake I made was the three-putt on 11, but it didn't bother me too much and that was a sign that I had good momentum and was feeling well.

"When you finish second six times you get the same questions from the media, and you wonder if forever you're going to be a runner-up.

"In that way it feels nice to get this win out of the way and prove that I can win golf tournaments. This first win will probably be the nicest one."

Jacobsen, who became the second Swede in four years to win the title after Patrik Sjoland's 1999 success, said he was sure the win would give him much confidence when he finds himself in similar situations in the future.

"I can't promise anything but at least I know that I will feel more comfortable going into a tight situation in the future. So this win should increase my chances of winning in the future."

Six-time major champion Nick Faldo, who had gone into the final day just four behind the lead as he chased his first title for five years, made a valiant late bid for the top.

Reaching the turn in 32 after picking up shots at the fifth and ninth, the 45-year-old moved to 12 under with back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th, but his charge came just too late and after finding water at the last a double-bogey six dropped him back to joint 11th.

But Faldo was more than satisfied with his final-day effort - and the week in general at the course where he won the 1990 Johnnie Walker Classic.

He said: "I played really well and only missed one green and one fairway. I had a really bad swing at the last and put it in the water, but apart from that I hit a lot of good shots. I've had a really good week.

"I was pleased with my swing today, I've been trying a few different things and generally everything's been better."

Asked if he was surprised at how well he had played this week, he added: "I surprise myself every time I hit it!

"I've really improved on the putting stats this week so all in all it's been really productive.

"If you look back at the whole week I always seemed to be four off the lead, and over the week you can easily find four shots. But it's nice to be believing you can find more, rather than not."

Two more Englishmen, Matthew Blackey and Jamie Spence, finished alongside Faldo on 10-under 266.

Collated scores from the final round of the Omega Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong

(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 69):

260 Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 68 65 63 64

262 Jorge Berendt (Arg) 68 65 62 67, Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 64 68 63 67

263 Stephen Dodd 64 65 66 68, Gary Orr 67 66 63 67, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 65 70 63 65

264 Tony Johnstone (Zim) 64 65 67 68

265 Craig Kamps (Rsa) 68 63 66 68, Thomas Levet (Fra) 65 65 69 66, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 67 62 69 67

266 Boonchu Ruangkit (Tha) 65 69 62 70, Arjun Singh (Ind) 65 66 65 70, Jamie Spence 68 65 64 69, Matthew Blackey 66 67 65 68, Nick Faldo 68 65 66 67, Marten Olander (Swe) 65 64 70 67, Nicolas Colsearts (Bel) 68 64 69 65, Rick Gibson (Can) 67 65 68 66

268 Henrik Bjornstad (Nor) 67 62 69 70, Andrew Marshall 68 64 68 68, Gerald Rosales (Phi) 70 64 68 66

269 Dean Robertson 65 68 67 69, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 67 64 69 69, Adrian Percey (Aus) 66 67 70 66, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 68 67 66 68

270 Kang Wook-Soon (Kor) 67 64 68, Barry Lane 66 67 67 70, Zhang Lian-Wei (Chi) 67 66 67 70, Anders Hansen (Den) 72 65 63 69, Kevin Na (Kor) 69 64 68 69, Clay Devers (USA) 66 64 73 67, Lu Wen Teh (Tpe) 68 69 65 68

271 Johan Rystrom (Swe) 69 66 65 71, Pablo del Olmo (Mex) 64 71 66 70, Gary Rusnak (USA) 66 67 69 69, Danny Chia (Mal) 68 66 69 68, Vivek Bhandari (Ind) 68 67 68 68, Simon Yates 67 69 68 67, Chris Williams (Rsa) 68 66 70 67

272 Soren Hansen (Den) 66 65 66 75, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 69 65 64 74, Adam Mednick (Swe) 67 67 67 71, Wang Ter-Chang (Tpe) 65 64 72 71, Peter Lawrie 68 65 68 71, Marc Farry (Fra) 70 65 68 69, Stephen Gallacher 69 66 67 70, Park Do-Kyu (Kor) 68 68 66 70

273 Klas Eriksson (Swe) 65 64 69 75, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 68 64 68 73, Ahmad Dan Bateman (USA) 67 66 69 71, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 67 70 66 70, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 72 63 68 70, Amandeep Johl (Ind) 63 71 71 68, Thammanoon Srirot (Tha) 67 67 70 69, Rafael Ponce (Ecu) 66 71 65 71

274 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 69 65 67 73, Tsai Chi-Huang (Tpe) 70 65 66 73, Massimo Florioli (Ita) 71 64 67 72

275 Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 68 69 68 70, Mike Cunning (USA) 68 69 66 72

276 Lee S James 70 67 68 71, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 69 66 69 72, Matthew Cort 66 71 66 73, Peter Baker 66 69 68 73, Yang Tong-Eun (Kor) 70 62 70 74

277 James Kingston (Rsa) 65 70 71 71, Ted Oh (Kor) 69 68 72 68, Juan Manuel Lara (Spa) 67 69 70 71, Aaron Meeks (USA) 72 65 68 72

278 Simon Wakefield 66 69 69 74, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 71 66 67 74

279 Ross Bain 66 70 69 74

281 Danny Zarate (Phi) 69 68 71 73

282 David Dixon 69 66 75 72

283 Taimur Hussain (Pak) 70 67 72 74

Retired: Unho Park (Aus)