Italian Emanuele Canonica has been the European Tour's biggest hitter four times but now he has finally achieved what he wanted above all - a tournament victory.

Canonica, twice a runner-up in 230 previous events stretching back to 1989 and thinking of giving up at the end of last year, came from two behind to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

And then the 34-year-old from Turin, at five feet four inches the smallest player on the circuit by half an inch from Ian Woosnam, revealed that former Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli was among those who had persuaded him to keep going.

Asked what he might have done instead, Canonica said: "Maybe some pro-ams in Italy and some teaching, but my wife and a lot of friends told me to try a couple more years."

He shot a closing 71 for a seven-under-par total of 281 and a two-stroke victory over English pair Barry Lane and David Lynn, Welshman Bradley Dredge and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, the overnight leader.

Only 106th on the order of merit and 353rd in the world, Canonica earned £233,330, the biggest pay-day of his career.

"It's been a long wait, but today I reached my dream," he added.

Tiger Woods' former coach Butch Harmon also played a part as Canonica spent a month with him in Las Vegas during the winter.

Lynn, Lane and Dredge all failed to birdie the par-five last, allowing Canonica the luxury of being able to hit an iron off the tee at the dangerous 533-yard hole.

The key moment for him came on the 543-yard 16th. Having bogeyed the 13th and 14th, his second shot carried the water hazard by only a yard, but from there he pitched to five feet and made the birdie putt.

Since turning professional in 1991, Canonica had to make six trips to the European Tour qualifying school, but he showed his talent at the 1996 Dunhill Cup when he gained a notable victory over Phil Mickelson.

Five years ago in Germany he came from behind overnight leader Tiger Woods to beat him - only a few have done that in the career of the world number one - but Lee Westwood played one of the rounds of his life to win the title.

And it took Sergio Garcia to deny him at the 2002 Spanish Open as his search for a maiden victory went on.

Colsaerts opened the door with two bogeys in his first five holes, and although he twice got back on terms on the back nine, the 22-year-old's hopes of a first win himself nose-dived with a hat-trick of bogeys from the 13th.

He matched his playing partner's birdie at the 16th, but although two closing pars left him in a four-way tie for second, the £93,137 cheque should see him regain his tour card at the end of the season.

Lynn shot 69, Lane 70 and Dredge 72, but they were never able to get on terms.

"I was trying to finish like I did yesterday - three-under for the last three - but I've got to be happy," said Lynn.

"I've been churning out solid results all year, but this is my best finish and I'll now try and take this form on."

Lane, 56th at halfway, commented: "It wasn't easy out there with the greens hard and fast, but I only just made the cut and was contending down the last three holes."

Dredge stated: "I just tried to go out there and relax, but nothing happened."

He fluffed a chip from over the back of the last green and added: "Story of the week really - two good shots on a par five and I still take five."

Paul Casey fell back to level par with a closing double-bogey seven, but he did at least make his first halfway cut in six tournaments and will take heart from that as he heads to the USPGA Championship.

Collated final totals in the European Tour, Johnnie Walker Championship at the PGA Centenary Course, Gleneagles, Scotland

(Gbr and Irl unless stated, par 72):

281 Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 70 71 69 71 (£233,330)

283 David Lynn 70 71 73 69, Barry Lane 73 74 66 70, Bradley Dredge 70 72 69 72, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 70 71 67 75 (£93,137 each)

284 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 75 69 71 69, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 73 73 66 72

285 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 75 66 76 68, Gary Orr 77 71 69 68, Sam Little 71 68 75 71, Steve Webster 71 67 74 73, Richard Bland 71 71 68 75

286 Robert Coles 74 72 69 71, Jonathan Lomas 70 71 73 72, Santiago Luna (Spa) 75 68 71 72, Paul Broadhurst 71 73 69 73

287 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 75 70 76 66, Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned) 73 71 73 70, Oliver Wilson 76 71 70 70, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 70 69 74 74, Ian Garbutt 71 69 72 75, Damien McGrane 70 72 69 76

288 Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 74 72 70 72, Paul Casey 71 73 70 74, Jamie Spence 71 73 70 74

289 Ben Mason 71 73 75 70, Fredrik Henge (Swe) 72 76 71 70, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 76 70 72 71, Paul Lawrie 74 68 75 72, Raymond Russell 75 71 71 72, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 71 74 74, Sandy Lyle 73 72 70 74

290 Mattias Eliasson (Swe) 71 72 77 70, David Gilford 75 70 73 72, Mark Foster 68 70 77 75, Chris Doak 72 74 69 75

291 Sebastian Fernandez (Arg) 73 73 75 70, Richard Finch 74 73 74 70, Peter Baker 74 74 73 70, Miles Tunnicliff 75 69 75 72, Gary Murphy 71 76 72 72, Philip Golding 73 73 72 73, Johan Axgren (Swe) 75 72 70 74, Peter Fowler (Aus) 76 71 70 74, Johan Skold (Swe) 71 74 68 78

292 Stuart Little 74 74 73 71, Terry Price (Aus) 76 72 72 72, Kenneth Ferrie 76 70 73 73, Simon Wakefield 71 72 75 74, Malcolm Mackenzie 73 72 73 74, Andrew Coltart 74 69 74 75, Jarrod Moseley (Aus) 75 72 70 75, Anders Hansen (Den) 73 74 68 77

293 Mark Roe 70 74 78 71, Paul Eales 74 71 75 73, Andrew Marshall 74 72 72 75, Gregory Havret (Fra) 75 73 70 75, Graeme Storm 72 73 72 76, Philip Walton 74 73 70 76, Alastair Forsyth 74 74 69 76, Gary Emerson 72 71 73 77

294 Roger Chapman 71 73 79 71, David Drysdale 79 69 73 73, Andrew Oldcorn 74 73 73 74, Stuart Manley 76 71 73 74, Mark Sanders 75 73 72 74, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 70 76 73 75, Matthew Morris 73 73 73 75, Richard Green (Aus) 77 71 70 76, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 72 70 74 78

295 David Griffiths 76 71 69 79

296 Simon Dyson 79 69 76 72, Simon Hurd 73 75 75 73, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 74 72 76 74, Michael Kirk (Rsa) 70 77 75 74, Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 74 71 75 76, Fernando Roca (Spa) 72 75 73 76, Leif Westerberg (Swe) 77 68 74 77, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 72 72 78

297 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 75 71 71 80

298 Peter Lawrie 72 76 71 79

299 Rolf Muntz (Ned) 72 76 78 73, Jose Manuel Carriles (Spa) 73 75 78 73

300 Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 72 76 73 79

301 Stephen Browne 75 73 79 74