The big-hitting Argentinian golfer known as "The Bull" charged to his second European tour title on Sunday.

Ricardo Gonzalez, 34 last Friday, came from six strokes behind to win the Telefonica Madrid Open at Club de Campo by one with a closing 65.

England's Paul Casey, four clear overnight, Irishman Padraig Harrington, Australian left-hander Nick O'Hern and Swede Marten Olander all failed to grab the birdie at the 349-yard 18th which would have forced a play-off.

Harrington, twice a winner on the course, also produced a 65, but paid for missing putts of six and 18 feet on the final two greens.

It was the 20th runners-up finish of his career, but on this occasion it was Casey who felt worst about just missing out.

The 26-year-old had led from the time he opened with an eight under par 63 on Thursday, but bogeys at the seventh, ninth and 11th during a heavy downpour cost him dear.

As Casey was doing that Gonzalez was completing a marvellous run of eight birdies in 12 holes from the fourth.

That swept the 2001 European Masters champion two in front, but he opened the door again by failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the last. Nobody was able to take advantage, though.

Gonzalez, only 87th on the Order of Merit going into the week, collected the £162,288 first prize with a 14 under par total of 270.

A disappointed Casey said: "Leading by four I thought I had at least one hand on the trophy, but I had 36 putts and you can't win a tournament with that number."

Harrington, out in 31 and then leader by one after a birdie at the long 14th, commented: "I didn't know I was out in front, but I didn't convert a couple of good shots at the end.

"I hit a bad putt on 17, but I was surprised to be long on the last. Six under is a good last round, though, and at the start of the day I didn't think I had a chance." He was seven behind Casey.

Sergio Garcia, watched by Real Madrid star Ronaldo as he tried for his first victory of the year, needed to birdie one of the last two for a play-off, but instead bogeyed them and ended up joint sixth.

Gonzalez, who after his run of birdies sank a vital 30-foot par putt on the 16th, said: "After three-putting the second I thought the tournament was over.

"I was seven behind and the will had left me. I didn't have any motivation, but then I started to play well, the door was opened and the light switched on for me."

Earlier, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, fourth and fifth on this year's European Order of Merit, both pulled out.

First to go was Poulter. Lying 72nd and last after a third round 76 he did not hit another shot, complaining of a wrist injury.

Westwood, joint 60th overnight, played two holes and birdied the second of them, but decided not to go on because of a neck strain.

"I woke up with it," he said. "It was probably the cold weather yesterday or maybe I slept funny.

"It wasn't good on the range and I had some treatment. I thought I would give it a chance, but I could still feel it and didn't want to make it worse for next week."

The pair are both in the field for the Volvo Masters starting at Valderrama on the Costa del Sol on Thursday and then become team-mates for Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe in the Seve Trophy match at El Saler near Valencia.

Although the Madrid Open was the final qualifying event for that Britain and Ireland captain Colin Montgomerie still does not know whether he will have Darren Clarke in his line-up.

Clarke is currently in position to earn a place in the US Tour's season-ending Tour Championship, but could be knocked out this week.

Swindon's David Howell, who missed the last match after breaking his arm in a fall while jogging, is on stand-by, although Montgomerie also has to name a wild card yet.

Meanwhile, Midlander Robert Rock and Yorkshire's Iain Pyman clung on to the last two cards for next year's circuit.

Miguel Angel Martin had to chance to send Pyman back to the qualifying school, but failed to get the ninth place he needed after breaking his driver in mid-round.

Collated final totals in the Telefonica Madrid Open at Club de Campo, Madrid, Spain, (Gbr and Ire unless stated, par 71):

(x) denotes amateur

270 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 70 66 65 (£162,288)

271 Padraig Harrington 65 73 68 65, Marten Olander 69 65 70 67, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 67 67 69 68, Paul Casey 63 65 71 72 (£64,780 each)

273 Matthew Blackey 70 70 68 65, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 64 71 71 67, Paul Lawrie 69 64 70 70, Peter Fowler (Aus) 67 66 70 70 (£27,362)

274 Adam Scott (Aus) 72 69 68 65, (x) Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 67 70 70 67, Pierre Fulke (Swe) 71 65 70 68

275 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 70 68 70 67, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 69 70 69 67

276 Greg Owen 72 66 71 67, Alastair Forsyth 70 71 69 66, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 67 70 68, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 71 69 65, Jarrod Moseley (Aus) 70 69 68 69

277 Thomas Levet (Fra) 66 71 72 68, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 67 71 69, Brian Davis 70 68 70 69, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 65 67 74 71, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 69 67 69 72, Andrew Coltart 69 68 68 72

278 David Park 74 63 73 68, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 70 68 68, Jamie Spence 71 70 70 67, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 69 70 72 67, Bradley Dredge 69 71 68 70, Gregory Havret (Fra) 67 70 70 71, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 68 71 68 71, Stephen Gallacher 69 64 72 73

279 Stephen Dodd 68 73 69 68, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 71 70 69 69, Andrew Oldcorn 71 69 68 71

280 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 71 68 71 70, David Lynn 73 69 68 70, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 76 66 69 69, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 67 68 71 74, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 71 71 70 68

281 David Howell 71 69 70 71, Ian Woosnam 68 72 70 71, Martin Maritz (Spa) 69 70 70 72, Miles Tunnicliff 67 70 73 71, Simon Dyson 74 66 72 69, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa) 69 70 68 74, Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa) 71 68 74 68

282 Barry Lane 67 74 69 72, Gary Orr 72 67 72 71, Warren Bennett 69 71 72 70

283 Richard Bland 71 69 70 73, Kenneth Ferrie 72 66 70 75, David Drysdale 72 69 70 72, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 70 68 74 71, Soren Hansen (Den) 69 70 74 70, Mark Roe 68 74 72 69

284 Rolf Muntz (Ned) 71 68 73 72, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 67 73 72 72, Santiago Luna (Spa) 71 71 71 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 72 70 73 69

285 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 69 74 73

286 Nick Dougherty 69 71 72 74, Eduardo de la Riva (Spa) 73 69 73 71

287 Gary Murphy 71 68 74 74

289 Costantino Rocca (Ita) 75 67 71 76, Gary Emerson 74 68 75 72

290 Carlos Balmaseda Sanchez (Spa) 72 69 71 78

291 Raymond Russell 71 70 74 76, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 73 68 75 75

Retired - Lee Westwood

Withdrew - Ian Poulter