ASH, England -- Ross Fisher shot a 4-under 68 Sunday to win the $4.8 million European Open by seven strokes over Sergio Garcia in a wire-to-wire victory. The 27-year-old Englishman finished with a 20-under total of 268.

Garcia shot 66, the best round on a day of strong winds and rain.

Graeme McDowell was third at 276 after a 73, while South African David Frost was another shot back in fourth after a 71. The 48-year-old Frost took the only place available in the July 17-20 British Open to a player not already exempt and finishing in the top five.

Fisher, who already qualified for the British Open, shot a course-record 63 in the first round Thursday despite playing it for the first time. Three more rounds in the 60s followed.

"This is a massive achievement for myself," said Fisher, who had his only previous European Tour win last August in the Netherlands. He also had a chance to win the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai before losing in a playoff to Phil Mickelson.

Fisher bogeyed the second hole in the toughest conditions Sunday, but did not drop another shot, making an eagle 3 at No. 5 and three birdies over the last six holes.

Garcia's exceptional round, which consolidated his Ryder Cup place for September, was based on his putting -- his weakness in recent years.

"I managed to putt really well," said Garcia, who took just 21 putts. "Now I know what Tiger (Woods) feels 98 percent of the time when he gets on the greens, so it's a great feeling."

McDowell started in second place and three shots behind Fisher, but his chances vanished when he dropped four shots on the first four holes.

"Conditions were brutal for the first 11 holes, but I dug deep and managed to turn it around," McDowell said.

He did not drop any more shots as he moved past Frost into third, and Frost got the Open place he did not expect.

"I did not realize Ross had qualified at Sunningdale Monday and I thought he had the spot," Frost said. "Maybe that was a good thing for me."

Fisher buried not just one, but two nightmare memories in inspired fashion at a wet and windy London Club.

Meanwhile, Garcia called his 66 one of the top five rounds of his career and "definitely the best putting round I've ever had." Yet, he would have had to shoot an unprecedented 59 just for a playoff.

"Just a great week," Fisher said. "I felt really calm all day, very composed, comfy with my game. I got my fair share of luck as well -- at the last I was just thinking, 'Try and put it on the green'. I'm delighted."

In November, Fisher led the HSBC Champions in Shanghai by one with one to play and with closest challenger Mickelson in the water on the par-5 last, he was odds-on to win. But he chipped over the green into the lake, ran up a double-bogey 7 and lost the playoff.

Before that, he was joint leader with a round to play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth -- his home club -- but collapsed to a closing 84.

Now he has a second Tour title to his name and having done it in such style against some of the circuit's biggest names, the future can only look bright for the former England amateur international.

"They say the second win is harder. I might have made it look easy, but it certainly wasn't," he said. As for the possibility of a Ryder Cup debut, he added: "I'd love it, but it's still a long way off."

Fisher's 50-foot eagle putt on the fifth was the one that left the rest with too much ground to make up, providing he avoided disaster.

To play the remaining holes in 3 under with birdies on the 12th, 15th and 471-yard 18th -- there were only 25 birdies there all week and he had three of them -- was majestic stuff.

"I don't think any player out here would be surprised at Ross's performance," said British Open champion Padraig Harrington, who was an incredible 18 shots back in 17th place after a 75. "He is well capable of doing this and more regularly."

Garcia is up from fifth to second in the Ryder Cup race.

"Obviously I came here trying to win, but my second goal was to get as many cup points and that's helped a lot," he said. "I would expect to putt like that every single round. I'd love to, it would be an easy game."

He is going home for a week's practice before heading to Royal Birkdale, while Harrington, as he did last year, will play the Irish PGA championship as his final warm-up.

Paired with the Dubliner, defending champion Colin Montgomerie tumbled to a 77 and to 24th place, not what he was looking for after his runner-up finish in the French Open. He stays 14th in the Ryder Cup points race and for him it is the Scottish Open next.

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