After a day on which some of Britain’s finest young players came to the fore over the Old Course at St Andrews yesterday, Nick Dougherty stood his ground to emerge as a fine and worthy winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The 25-year-old Englishman, who had started the day with a lead of three strokes over the field, had a final round of 71 for a total of 270, 18 under par, and victory by two strokes over Justin Rose, who had a 69.

It earned Dougherty a first prize of €562,624 (about £392,000) and laid to rest the ghosts of previous tournaments in which he had fallen away within sight of victory. Rose, meanwhile, closed to within about €20,000 of Padraig Harrington at the top of the Order of Merit.

While Dougherty was celebrating his second win on the European Tour in six years as a professional, an 18-year-old Northern Irish sensation by the name of Rory McIlroy was making waves of his own by finishing third and thereby securing his tour card for next season in only his second tournament in the paid ranks.

Dougherty, who admitted that he had been nervous early on, got off to a wobbly start by dropping shots at each of the first two holes with missed putts from inside six feet. By the 4th hole he had only a share of the lead, but settled his nerves with a birdie at the 5th, the first of three on the trot, and was not to be passed.

He had been chased primarily by Rose, Ernie Els, Steve Webster and Paul Lawrie - all of whom let chances slip – and had the luxury of a three-stroke lead playing his approach shot to the par-four 17th, the fearsome Road Hole, which he bogeyed. He settled for a par at the last and a win that banished any demons.

“I felt really nervous at the start and that’s not a good position to be in,” he said. “But this is where I want to be and I’ve got to learn to love it. This is the win I’ve been after and to do it here at the home of golf is really special. I’ve never played the 17th in those circumstances, but, my goodness, it’s a difficult hole. Watching Justin bogey it certainly helped.”

In a year in which he led the US Open after the first round and played alongside Tiger Woods in the third, Dougherty is looking stronger by the week and is a serious contender for the game’s biggest tournaments. He is hugely talented and nothing should hold him back now.

The same can be said of McIlroy, who has secured his card quicker than any player in the history of the tour. Sergio GarcÍa gained his card at 19 with victory in his fourth tournament, the 1999 Irish Open.

For one glorious moment it seemed as if the Northern Irishman might achieve the unthinkable and challenge for the title. It was not to be, but his outstanding finish took his earnings in two events beyond €226,000 and inside the top 115 on the Order of Merit, the point below which players have to visit Qualifying School.

Prodigiously talented, McIlroy - who was leading amateur at the Open Championship this year – came into the final round six strokes behind Dougherty but had moved to within one of the lead, on 15 under par, with eight holes to go.

He had landed three birdies on the trot from the 8th, the first courtesy of a putt of about 20 feet, and reached the turn in 33 with four birdies in all and a solitary bogey. His inward nine, however, was a touch more adventurous. A wayward drive at the 12th cost him a stroke and then he dropped two more after hitting out of bounds at the 14th.

The sign of a good player, however, is how he copes with adversity. McIlroy’s answer? A birdie at the 15th, another on the 17th and a real crowd-pleaser at the 18th after a flop shot to within 18 inches of the hole that set up a tap-in putt for another birdie in a round of 68. Rest assured: this was a sign of things to come.

Leading final scores

Great Britain and Ireland unless stated

270: N Dougherty 67, 66, 66, 71. 272: J Rose 68, 69, 66, 69. 273: R McIlroy 71, 67, 67, 68. 274: Paul Lawrie 66, 73, 64, 71; B Lane 69, 70, 68, 67. 275: T Immelman (SA) 73, 65, 67, 70; E Els (SA) 67, 67, 70, 71. 276: S Hansen (Den) 66, 70, 71, 69; P Harrington 70, 66, 67, 73. 277: P Hanson (Swe) 68, 68, 69, 72; P Casey 74, 68, 68, 67; A Haig (SA) 68, 66, 75, 68; N Fasth (Swe) 67, 70, 67, 73; S Strange (Aus) 66, 70, 69, 72. 278: B Rumford (Aus) 70, 68, 72, 68; S Webster 65, 70, 68, 75; M Á Jiménez (Sp) 68, 68, 73, 69; P Archer 68, 68, 71, 71; R Echenique (Arg) 67, 67, 72, 72; M Kaymer (Ger) 69, 68, 70, 71; G Fernández-Castaño (Sp) 67, 67, 73, 71; G Storm 74, 66, 68, 70. 279: J M Singh (India) 67, 68, 72, 72; R-J Derksen (Neth) 70, 71, 70, 68; Z Scotland 72, 72, 67, 68; G Murphy 71, 67, 72, 69; G Orr 70, 70, 69, 70; L Donald 67, 70, 69, 73; P McGinley 70, 71, 67, 71; J Bickerton 70, 70, 69, 70; P O’Malley (Aus) 69, 64, 69, 77. 280: A Wall 73, 69, 65, 73; J-F Remesy (Fr) 71, 67, 69, 73; J Van de Velde (Fr) 71, 69, 67, 73; R Sterne (SA) 73, 67, 70, 70. 281: H Otto (SA) 66, 67, 74, 74; M Erlandsson (Swe) 71, 68, 71, 71; G McDowell 70, 68, 70, 73; D Lynn 67, 76, 68, 70; P Hedblom (Swe) 69, 74, 67, 71; K Ferrie 69, 65, 75, 72; R Davies 71, 70, 68, 72; A Cañizares (Sp) 70, 69, 72, 70; J Hepworth 74, 70, 67, 70.