Colin Montgomerie endured a nerve-wracking wait before sealing his Ryder Cup place in style by claiming a third Volvo Scandinavian Masters title in Malmo.

Montgomerie fired a final round 70 for a one stroke victory over Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter to claim the £184,000 first prize and 300,000 Ryder Cup points.

The Scot won by nine shots when the tournament was last held at Barseback two years ago and carved out a four shot lead at one stage on the final day before bogeys at the last two holes gave him a few anxious moments.

Defending champion Westwood got within a shot of the man he replaced as European number one with a birdie on the 16th, missed a good chance to draw level on the 17th and could only par the last when a birdie would have forced a play-off.

Poulter then rolled in his only birdie of the day from 20 feet on the 18th to claim a share of second alongside his playing partner with five players a shot further back on 12 under including Kent's Warren Bennett, continuing his good form seven days after he lost out in a play-off to Bernhard Langer in the Dutch Open.

"I didn't think 70 would be good enough," conceded Montgomerie who admitted at the start of the week that his cup place was not secure after Bernhard Langer's victory in the Dutch Open had pushed him down to eighth in the standings with only the top 10 after the BMW International Open guaranteed a spot in the European team.

"I would have thought it would only be good enough for third or fourth but it was more difficult out there than we thought.

"I made a mess of 17 and 18 and relaxed too early but that was OK, I was far enough ahead - it worked out OK.

"I'm delighted to win again having had to beat Lee Westwood's score by two shots at the start of the day because he's back playing well again.

"That's me safe for the Ryder Cup which is nice and it's a good result for Sam as last week's win by Bernhard was. It's also great for Lee to be playing as well and it's taking shape."

Montgomerie's win, 10 years after his first Scandinavian Masters title, was his second of the season following his Irish Open triumph five weeks ago.

It was his 26th career European Tour title, which took him to sixth in the cup standings. Westwood moved up to fourth and Poulter climbed from 20th to 12th.

Westwood and Poulter could both only manage closing rounds of level par 72 but Westwood in particular was not overly disappointed having at least shown he had emerged from a worrying slump that saw him miss four of the last six cuts.

"I'm quite pleased even though I missed some short putts, from two feet for par on the ninth and three feet for birdie on the 12th and you can't afford to do that," the 28-year-old said.

"I didn't get too lucky with a couple of lies, when I hit it off line I was severely penalised but I only made four bogeys all week which is better than it has been.

"It was very good of Monty to bogey the last two holes to give me the chance. It wasn't to be but at least I gave myself a chance."

Westwood will now have a week off ahead of the USPGA Championship having played 12 of the last 13 events, while Poulter will play in the Wales Open starting on Thursday as he bids for more Ryder Cup points before making his debut in the last Major of the year in Atlanta having asked for, and received, an invite.

"I didn't give myself enough chances and didn't really take any that I did have," said the 25-year-old who won the Italian Open on his way to becoming Rookie of the Year last season and added the Moroccan Open title earlier this year.

"It was unfortunate to make a bogey on the 14th but good to finish the way I did because I knew I had to make it."

Montgomerie had trailed overnight leaders Westwood and Poulter by a shot and after a bogey on the third was followed by a Westwood birdie minutes later on the same hole, actually trailed by three shots.

But the damage was swiftly repaired with birdies on the fourth and fifth and as the rest of the challengers began to falter, Montgomerie made the decisive move with three birdies in four holes from the 11th.

A wayward drive cost him a shot at the 17th and when he failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the last, what had been a four-shot cushion had all but disappeared.

Westwood could still force a play-off with a birdie at either of the last two holes but missed from 15ft on the 17th and pulled his approach to the last into the crowd and had to settle for par.

Collated scores and totals after final round of Volvo Scandinavian Masters, Barseback Golf and Country Club, Malmo:

(Gbr&Irl unless stated, Par 72)

(x) denotes amateurs

274 C Montgomerie 66 69 69 70 (#184,112)

275 L Westwood 67 67 69 72, I Poulter 70 65 68 72 (#95,947 each)

276 J Sandelin (Swe) 68 74 68 66, J Haeggman (Swe) 71 67 70 68, A Scott (Aus) 69 72 67 68, D Edlund (Swe) 69 67 71 69, W Bennett 67 70 69 70 (#40,298 each)

277 P Hanson (Swe) 70 72 66 69, S Hansen (Den) 66 73 68 70, T Bjorn (Den) 68 72 67 70, P Hedblom (Swe) 66 70 68 73 (#21,541 each)

278 F Andersson (Swe) 69 71 71 67, M Campbell (Nzl) 69 70 70 69, N Fasth (Swe) 67 69 72 70

279 J Rystrom (Swe) 67 72 71 69, T Johnstone (Zim) 71 69 70 69, O Edmond (Fra) 68 74 68 69, P Lonard (Aus) 71 68 69 71, A Forsbrand (Swe) 72 69 67 71, D Clarke 66 70 70 73

280 R Jacquelin (Fra) 68 75 68 69, R Chapman 69 69 72 70, S Webster 71 68 70 71

281 I Garbutt 71 71 69 70, P Fulke (Swe) 68 71 71 71, W Riley (Aus) 71 68 71 71, T Levet (Fra) 67 72 67 75

282 S Richardson 74 66 72 70, C Pettersson (Swe) 74 68 70 70, C Rocca (Ita) 68 72 71 71, B Davis 71 71 69 71, A Wall 63 76 71 72, P O'Malley (Aus) 70 71 68 73, J Moseley (Aus) 70 71 66 75, P Lawrie 69 71 65 77

283 R Russell 70 74 71 68, P Baker 72 70 72 69, I Garrido (Spa) 71 71 72 69, C Suneson (Spa) 68 74 72 69, A Hansen (Den) 71 72 70 70, A Cejka (Ger) 73 70 70 70, S Kjeldsen (Den) 69 72 71 71, J Parnevik (Swe) 71 72 69 71, F Henge (Swe) 71 69 69 74, S Gallacher 70 70 69 74, D Howell 73 70 66 74

284 C Hanell (Swe) 70 72 72 70, C Cevaer (Fra) 71 69 73 71, P Broadhurst 71 73 69 71, P-U Johansson (Swe) 72 72 68 72, D Botes (Rsa) 71 68 72 73

285 B Dredge 68 74 73 70, G Brand Jnr 72 71 72 70, G Evans 72 71 72 70, M Roe 72 71 71 71, J Spence 69 74 70 72, M McNulty (Zim) 70 71 70 74

286 R Gonzalez (Arg) 71 73 75 67, S Tinning (Den) 73 71 73 69, I Woosnam 70 74 73 69, F Jacobson (Swe) 71 73 71 71, P Mitchell 72 70 72 72, M Farry (Fra) 71 72 71 72, G Owen 73 71 70 72, D Carter 70 70 73 73, R Green (Aus) 69 74 70 73

287 H Otto (Rsa) 69 74 74 70, O Karlsson (Swe) 71 73 73 70, N Colsaerts (Bel) 71 71 73 72, H Bjornstad (Nor) 73 70 71 73

288 G Turner (Nzl) 72 72 74 70, C Rodiles (Spa) 72 71 71 74

289 M Norgren (Swe) 73 69 74 73, V Phillips 70 74 72 73, G Havret (Fra) 67 73 75 74, M Jonzon (Swe) 71 70 74 74, R Winchester 75 69 69 76, S Scahill (Nzl) 72 67 73 77

290 H Stenson (Swe) 70 74 74 72

292 D Terblanche (Rsa) 70 72 77 73

293 T Munoz (Spa) 70 74 73 76

294 (x) N Lemke (Swe) 72 72 75 75