Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam revealed he was considering quitting golf after finishing fifth behind Miguel Angel Jimenez in the Celtic Manor Wales Open.

Woosnam went into the final round just a shot off the lead but again struggled with his putting and could only manage a closing 68.

"I am going to go away now and chuck the clubs away for a few weeks. Might chuck them away all together," said the 47-year-old, without a strokeplay title since 1997.

"I am close to it. If my putting doesn't improve they are going in the bag forever. I'm cheesed off with it.

"I missed a four footer for birdie on the fourth and missed from 14 inches on the sixth.

"I started off playing beautifully but when I missed that 14-incher it just put so much pressure on me and I just lost it a bit.

"I was just hoping the round was over and I could get out of here. Over the years the putting seems to have gone and it is annoying.

"I have to hit it so close all the time to get anywhere and I put so much pressure on myself all the time."

In stark contrast Jimenez carded a superb final round of 62 to claim his sixth title in 16 months, the 41-year-old covering the last 14 holes in eight under par with six birdies and an eagle to equal the course record and claim the £250,000 first prize.

The Spaniard's 14 under par total left him four shots clear of Sweden's Martin Erlandsson - the world number 619 carding a brilliant 63 - and Spain's Jose Manuel Lara.

Jimenez got off to a poor start with a bogey on the second and found himself three off the pace after a flying start from Mansfield's Oliver Wilson, who birdied five holes in a row from the second to take the lead.

But as Wilson faltered with a double bogey on the ninth Jimenez was beginning to find his form and picked up three birdies before the turn to get back into contention.

A birdie on the 13th gave him a share of the lead and he went in front for the first time with another from six feet on the 14th.

A play-off still looked a distinct possibility however until the Ryder Cup star smashed a three-wood 253 yards onto the green on the 529-yard 16th and holed the eagle putt from 40 feet.

"The key today was my putting," said Jimenez, who claimed his second European Tour title of the season. "I hit it very well and made only one mistake and then the birdies came.

"The putt on the 16th was about 40ft and I just tried to control the pace.

"The green had a little hump in the middle and I just tried to make a solid putt and the ball dropped in the hole. I was delighted to make an eagle."

Jimenez will travel to next week's US Open at Pinehurst full of confidence and added: "I hope I hit the ball like that.

"I'm looking forward to having a rest this week with my family and then fly out on Sunday to the US Open."

Erlandsson, whose previous best finish was a share of 13th in last year's Italian Open, earned £130,000 for a share of second place which ensures he will not have to return to the qualifying school.

"I am still shaking," said Erlandsson who carded seven birdies and one bogey.

"I just went for it today and had something going on there. It was fantastic."

Collated final totals in the European Tour Celtic Manor Wales Open, Celtic Manor, Wales

(Gbr & Irl unless stated, Par 69)

(x) denotes amateur

262 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 63 67 70 62 (£250,000)

266 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 69 65 69 63, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 68 65 67 66 (£130,280 each)

267 Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 65 66 69 67 (£75,000)

268 Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 68 66 68 66, Ian Woosnam 64 68 68 68, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 65 62 72 69 (£53,700 each)

270 Wade Ormsby (Aus) 67 68 70 65, Oliver Wilson 67 67 69 67, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 65 70 67 68, David Lynn 63 66 72 69

271 Anthony Wall 70 68 66 67, Gary Orr 66 70 67 68, Nick Dougherty 65 72 65 69

272 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 65 72 70 65, Steve Webster 68 71 68 65

273 Paul Broadhurst 70 68 70 65, Peter Senior (Aus) 63 72 72 66, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 69 68 67, Richard Bland 66 70 69 68, Paul Lawrie 67 68 69 69, Jan-Are Larsen (Nor) 67 68 69 69, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 66 70 70

274 Robert Coles 68 69 72 65, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 67 72 70 65, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 67 70 69 68, Stuart Little 64 69 72 69, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 66 66 71 71, Terry Price (Aus) 70 67 65 72

275 Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 69 68 74 64, Gary Murphy 68 71 69 67, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 67 65 75 68, Richard Finch 67 65 75 68, Soren Hansen (Den) 67 70 70 68, Andrew Coltart 65 74 66 70

276 David Howell 71 67 72 66, Leif Westerberg (Swe) 66 69 72 69, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 67 69 71 69, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 66 71 70 69, Kenneth Ferrie 65 68 73 70, Ben Mason 67 67 70 72, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 68 67 69 72, Bradley Dredge 69 68 67 72 277 Sandy Lyle 68 70 74 65, David Gilford 69 70 71 67, Paul McGinley 68 70 71 68, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 70 68 71 68, John Bickerton 69 70 70 68, Peter Lawrie 68 71 69 69, Simon Wakefield 69 68 70 70, Anders Hansen (Den) 67 69 70 71, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 68 69 67 73, James Heath 63 69 70 75

278 Ross Fisher 70 68 76 64, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 67 68 76 67, Gordon Brand Jnr 71 68 72 67, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 68 68 71 71, Benoit Teilleria (Fra) 63 69 74 72, Jamie Donaldson 67 68 69 74

279 Roger Chapman 68 70 75 66, Stephen Gallacher 66 68 76 69, David Park 68 67 75 69, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa) 69 66 73 71, Graeme Storm 68 68 72 71, Neil Cheetham 65 72 71 71, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 71 68 69 71, Marten Olander (Swe) 67 67 72 73

280 Brad Kennedy (Aus) 69 67 75 69, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 66 71 73 70, Gary Emerson 63 71 73 73

281 Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 69 69 72 71, Hernan Rey (Arg) 70 68 72 71

282 Adam Groom (Aus) 69 70 75 68, David Drysdale 69 68 73 72, Simon Khan 67 72 69 74

283 Andre Cruse (Rsa) 67 72 78 66, Marco Bernardini (Ita) 74 65 75 69, Andrew Oldcorn 66 73 72 72

288 Pelle Edberg (Swe) 72 66 78 72

293 Fernando Roca (Spa) 70 69 77 77