PARIS -- Spanish rookie Pablo Larrazabal won the Alstom French Open for his first European Tour victory Sunday, closing with a 4-under-par 67 to beat Colin Montgomerie by four strokes.

Larrazabal, who had to play two qualifying rounds just to get into the field, finished at 15-under 269.

"It was, for me, a six-day tournament," he said.

Montgomerie shot a 68 for a 273, one stroke in front of Soren Hansen of Denmark. Australia's Richard Green (67) was next at 276, one shot ahead of Lee Westwood of England and Markus Brier of Austria.

"I played great golf," Larrazabal said. "Today and yesterday was probably the best golf of my life. Now I know I can play like those guys -- Montgomerie and Westwood."

Larrazabal, whose parents came to France to watch the tournament, was thrown into a lake by friends after his victory.

"Maybe it's the way to do it," he said. "Bring my family with me all the time."

The Spaniard persevered on the last four holes. After a bogey on the 14th, he sank birdie putts from 10 and 25 feet on the 15th and 16th to lead by five strokes.

"Pablo has a great future ahead of him," Montgomerie said. "He bogeys the par-5 14 and then he birdies 15 and 16. Good luck to him because these flags were no gimmes."

Montgomerie missed opportunities on the last seven holes but made a long birdie putt on the last hole to secure second place.

Larrazabal hit into the trap at the ninth hole after an approach shot found the rough. He then missed the green and had to chip for a double bogey. That cut his lead to two strokes as Westwood birdied the 10th. But he bounced back after the turn with two straight birdies to regain a four-shot advantage over Montgomerie.

"I felt the pressure a little bit when I lost my concentration at the ninth," Larrazabal said.

European golf has a brand new star in the smiling Larrazabal, who entered the tournament 481st in the world and even described himself as "the 150th best player here."

As a result of his victory, the European Tour rookie will play his first major at next month's British Open, has secured a place on the circuit for the next two years and is even in the top 20 of the Ryder Cup race. Until his win, he was not even in the top 100.

This was only the 17th Tour event Larrazabal had played in his life, although his past experiences do include the Masters at Augusta -- as a caddie for his brother Alejandro, the 2002 British Amateur champion.

Until this achievement, he was only the fourth best-known golfer in his family as both parents were internationals.

Father Gustavo made him work on a fish farm before turning professional to get an idea of what hard work is and learn the value of money. He should never have to go back to it.

His previous best finish was 15th and he had never previously come within eight strokes of the winner, but now he charges from 128th on the Order of Merit into the leading 10 and up more than 300 places on the world rankings.

Larrazabal, who played all week without a driver in his bag on the firm and bouncy course, started the final day three ahead and remained firmly in the driving seat with three birdies in his first five holes.

A double-bogey 7 on the ninth cut his advantage from five to two, but he promptly birdied the next two, and after taking six down the long 14th ignored the dangers of the water to birdie the next two again.

"I lost my concentration a little bit on nine, but I told myself 'You're still leading, try to concentrate again'. That I did," he said.

"I didn't know he was that good -- I don't think anybody knew he was that good," said longtime Spanish star Ignacio Garrido, who lent the new champion a pair of shoes after he emerged from the lake. "It's unbelievable, amazing."

Montgomerie, giving his bid to secure his Ryder Cup place a huge boost with a $700,000 check, took second from Dane Soren Hansen with a 40-foot closing birdie putt.

"That's a big step in the right direction," said the Scot, 45 last Monday. "Forgive me for not knowing the winner's name, but he has a great future ahead of him. Good luck to him."

Westwood missed a succession of crucial putts and commented: "After the first five holes just about everything I tried turned to rubbish. What can you do? It was one of those weeks where nothing went right."

Two British Open spots were up for grabs off a mini-money list running for the past eight weeks, and Larrazabal joins Australian Scott Strange, winner of the Wales Open, in claiming those.

Larrazabal continues a sequence of shock winners of the event started by Malcolm Mackenzie in 2002. Since then Phil Golding, Jean-Francois Remesy (twice), John Bickerton and Graeme Storm have put their names on the trophy, but none was as big a surprise as this.

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