That there was little excitement during the final round was entirely to his credit since not for a moment did Hansen show a weakness to the chasing pack. “It meant a lot for Thomas to be there.”Bjorn, who has played with Hansen since they were juniors, said: “I think he can be one of the best players in Europe You are going to hear a lot more about him. He is a very consistent player and what he has done this week, in these conditions, is very special. It was one of the best performances we have seen in Europe for a long time. He has taken a while to come through but what he does really well is stick to what works for him.

To win here must give him the confidence to go on to bigger things.”Seeing Denmark come last in the Eurovision Song Contest only spurred Hansen on. With a last round of 70 he set a record score for the championship of 19 under par, one better than Bernhard Langer in 1987 and Montgomerie in ‘99. Yet conditions were far from easy, especially in the strong, gusting winds of Friday and Saturday when Hansen compiled brilliant rounds of 65 and 66.His maiden victory, in his fourth full year on tour, brought with it a five-year exemption and a prize of £333,330. Like Craig Perks at the Players Championship earlier this year, he became the first player to make the Volvo PGA his first title. “To win this tournament is beyond my wildest fantasy,” he said “For this title to be my first is unbelievable. What it means for the future I don’t know yet.”I felt horrible today I had stomach cramps.

That’s the worst 18 holes of my life but I want to win so much. I couldn’t imagine it going any better than it did.”Hansen was quickly six ahead of the field and, when he holed from 40 feet at the 10th, seven in front. Relentlessly, he found the safe path around the West Course, recovering quickly whenever he was out of position. It needed a fast start from someone to put any pressure on the Dane but Jarrod Moseley’s 63, equalling the course record, left the Australian still too far behind.Likewise Montgomerie’s 67 “My back eased up over the last two days,” he said. It was an exhausting week for the Scot as he sped from course to treatment room to practice range to massage table. After a first-round 64 he was in command but he lost the lead to Hansen when he dropped three shots in the last four holes on Friday.The incident when he hit a spectator on the head at the 16th in the second round lingered on to his start on Saturday. “It did throw me a bit and I never got going on Saturday,” he said.Montgomerie, who is due to play in the British Masters at Woburn this week as his last event before the US Open, added: “Though it is disappointing to finish runner-up again, this week was a very good effort.