It is a shame that Robert Karlsson does not have a trophy cabinet in his home in Monte Carlo because if he had, he could put the Vardon Trophy in pride of place. Karlsson became the first Swede yesterday to win the handsome 24in-high trophy that is awarded to the man who has won the most money in a season on the European Tour when all his challengers fell by the wayside at this extremely demanding course along the coast from Gibraltar.

Would that fireworks had lit up the skies to acknowledge the steadiness of Karlsson, who has been 30th or better in all but one of the 16 events on the European Tour that he has played since mid-March. Better still, would that he had actually won the Volvo Masters, the end-of-season tournament that is to be replaced next year by the Dubai World Championship.

The first prize of £560,000 would have been a rousing way for the Swede to cap his season of seasons and for Volvo, a Swedish firm, to conclude its 21-year association with this event at this venue. Starting next year, it will sponsor a limited-field, matchplay event at a course a few miles down the Costa del Sol.

But on an overcast afternoon, there was something anticlimactic about the victory of Soren Kjeldsen, the quiet Dane, who led after the first round and was never headed. Kjeldsen’s victory by two strokes over Anthony Wall and Martin Kaymer made amends for defeat by Justin Rose in a play-off at this event last year.

Kjeldsen’s thoughtful and cautious play in his final round of 71 denied Lee Westwood any chance of his first victory of the season and with it a chance of snatching the Vardon Trophy. Westwood was within three strokes of Kjeldsen after 54 holes, but, while Kjeldsen was two under par for his next 15 holes, Westwood was two over. “Lee needs a good back nine,” John Westwood, his father, said as he watched his son play the 10th, but it was not forthcoming as the Ryder Cup star closed with a 72.

Westwood is a more complete player than ever and has played very consistently these past 12 months. He has become one of the world’s best drivers, his long-iron play is crisp, his short game, once so weak, has become a strength, and his putting remains good. How odd, then, that he has not won a tournament in 2008. “It has been a year of nearlies and this was a nearly again,” he said. While most of his peers are en route to the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, the start of the 2009 schedule, he has a date to have his tonsils removed.

Padraig Harrington, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Westwood had arrived at Valderrama with a chance of catching Karlsson. Harrington was virtually eliminated by opening rounds of 76 and 71 and Jiménez caught very bad weather on Friday, dropped seven strokes in four holes and was never a contender thereafter.

Karlsson won two tournaments in a row — the Mercedes Benz Championship in mid-September and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship — and impressed with his quiet yet authoritative golf that brought him 12 top-ten finishes in 23 tournaments this season.

Golf is a game of statistics and he has improved in every statistical category except one this season. Only in driving distance was he not better in 2008 than the year before.

“That’s a result of age,” Karlsson said. “Since the end of 2005, I have played well. I was close in the Order of Merit in 2006 \. In fact, with nine holes to go, four of us had a chance.

“But is one of those things that are difficult to get your head around. Obviously, it would have been fantastic to have capped off the year with a good week here, but I am not going to feel ashamed finishing 32nd this week. I think I need a few days to work it all out.” Karlsson flew to Paris last night and then on to China. Plenty of time in the course of those flights for him to assess the merit of his victory.

Karlsson, who is 39, turned professional in 1989, when Kjeldsen was 4, and joined the European Tour in 1991, when Sergio García was 11. He is a hard worker who does not talk very much. It has taken him some time to become an overnight success.

Leading final scores
Great Britain and Ireland unless stated

276: S Kjeldsen (Den) 65, 71, 69, 71. 278: A Wall 69, 69, 71, 69; M Kaymer (Ger) 73, 70, 67, 68. 280: S García (Sp) 68, 70, 70, 72; L Westwood 70, 68, 70, 72. 281: D Lynn 69, 73, 70, 69. 282: R Green (Aus) 73, 70, 72, 67. 283: G McDowell 72, 70, 74, 67; A Hansen (Den) 74, 69, 69, 71. 284: P Hedblom (Swe) 71, 74, 72, 67. 285: R Fisher 76, 70, 70, 69; D Clarke 71, 69, 72, 73. 286: P Hanson (Swe) 72, 69, 73, 72; RJ Derksen (Neth) 72, 70, 72, 72; S Webster 72, 71, 73, 70; S Hansen (Den) 74, 71, 70, 71; A Romero (Arg) 74, 72, 68, 72; M Brier (Austria) 72, 69, 74, 71; P Harrington 76, 71, 71, 68. 287: F Molinari (It) 74, 73, 74, 66. 288: A Noren (Swe) 74, 74, 73, 67. 289: C Montgomerie 73, 76, 68, 72; G Fernández-Castaño (Sp) 73, 74, 67, 75. 290: M Á Jiménez (Sp) 73, 80, 70, 67. 291: D Howell 73, 71, 75, 72; G Bourdy (Fr) 73, 75, 71, 72; T Levet (Fr) 71, 68, 75, 77; O Fisher 73, 71, 73, 74. 292: P Casey 73, 68, 73, 78; F Aguilar (Chile) 74, 72, 70, 76; I Poulter 76, 76, 67, 73. 293: R Karlsson (Swe) 73, 73, 72, 75; Paul Lawrie 76, 72, 75, 70.

Order of Merit: how they finished

1, R Karlsson (Swe) $2,732,748 (about £2.17m)

2, P Harrington (Ire) $2,459,109

3, L Westwood $2,424,642

4, M Á Jiménez (Sp) $2,066,596

5, G McDowell $1,859,346

6, R Fisher $1,836,530

7, H Stenson (Swe) $1,798,617

8, M Kaymer (Ger) $1,794,500

9, S García (Sp) $1,591,917

10, S Kjeldsen (Den) $1,440,979

Other British: 11, O Wilson $1,270,705; 13, D Clarke $1,151,038; 19, I Poulter $946,806; 21, P Casey $930,347; 27, C Montgomerie $815,153; 44, N Dougherty $658,974; 81, J Rose $392,562.