COSTANTINO ROCCA lit up Surrey's sombre stockbroker belt with demonstrable delight when he captured top prize of £166,660 in the £1 million Volvo PGA Championship here on the West Course yesterday.

An aggregate of 274 - 14 under par - delivered what was easily the most important victory of Rocca's career, confirming his status as the finest golfer in the history of the Italian game.

Even sweeter for him was that he survived a tight finish against no less a rival than Nick Faldo, with whom he shared Ryder Cup glory at Oak Hill last September.

With Faldo playing two groups ahead of him, it looked as if the Italian would have to finish with two birdies to claim the title. But when he actually produced those figures, his victory margin was an improbable two strokes.

With a final round of 68, Faldo outscored Rocca's 69, but it wasn't enough. "I never expected it to be enough," admitted the reigning US Masters champion. "Around here, 68 is about par for us." He was speaking within minutes of a bitterly disappointing par at the finishing hole where he admitted to a "silly mistake" with a six iron second shot.

The Englishman's failure meant a double delight for Rocca. He explained: "I recently read an article in an Italian magazine in which Nick Faldo says he would not mind losing a major to me. I think of that out there today and I decide to make Nick's words come true."

Rocca went on: "At the start of today my blood pressure was 200 and by the time I reach the 18th it was 300. To win in England is very important to me. A lot of Italians live here and they support me very well. I hope this win will also mean a lot to young Italian players, but the problem is that the game is very expensive there."

This was his third victory on the European Tour and his first since 1993. That was his breakthrough year when he captured the rather modest Open V33 in Lyon and went on to beat Paul McGinley in a play off for the French Open title. "I dedicated this win tony family," he said, thinking in particular of his wife, Antonella, who was a tremendous support to him when he made five visits to the Qualifying School, in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986 and for the last time in 1989.

Two exemptions into the US Open at Oakland Hills next month were at stake for the top two players in the Order of Merit after this event. Only one of them was claimed, as Rocca had previously qualified by finishing in the top 15 of the Order of Merit at the end of last season. So, the lone exemption goes to Ian Woosnam, whose 11th place finish yesterday allowed him to comfortably retain leadership of the table.

All of the leading challengers made at least one crucial error in quest of Europe's first £1 million tournament, outside of the British Open. For Rocca the most serious slip was a blocked drive into trees at the 15th, from where he did well to escape with the only bogey of his round.

His playing partner and fellow overnight leader, Mark McNulty, also remained strongly in contention until he faced the dog leg 13th from where the players embark on the homeward stretch. There, the Zimbabwean missed the green on the left to card the first bogey of his round. Bogeys at the 14th and 15th effectively knocked him out of contention.

Meanwhile, birdies at the 11th and 12th had brought Faldo to 12 under par and within sight of the lead. So it came as a particularly unwelcome setback when he three putted the 13th for the first bogey of his round. After missing a short par putt, he glared angrily towards the crowd. "A photographer was taking pictures at the wrong time," he explained afterwards.

But comfort was at hand. Two boles later, after drilling a three iron approach to within 25 feet of the pin at the difficult 15th, he rolled in the putt for a birdie. Now he and Rocca were level at the top of the leaderboard and one felt the destination of the title must rest on their play of the 17th, and 18th.

That's how it turned out. The 17th was out of reach in two and a poor pitch by Faldo gave him little chance of a birdie. But things looked decidedly healthier, for him after a cracking drive down the centre of the 18th fairway. With 186 yards to the pin, he had a six iron off a downhill lie.

The lie became a key factor in his execution of the shot. Instead", of opening the club face slightly to hold the ball on a line to the right of the pin, he went straight for the target. The result was a pulled," shot into the left trap from where he recovered weakly and two putted for a closing par.

By that stage, Rocca, in the last two ball of the day, had taken the lead on 13 under par with a birdie at the long 17th. There, faced with a second shot of 250 yards, he took his caddie's advice and hit a three iron rather than a three wood. That was followed by a wedge to five feet and the putt, "found the target. "It was my most important birdie," he said. "I did not want to hit a three wood. The wind was left, to right and if I miss it she go...

Down the last, Rocca had already decided that he would play it as a par five. So, following a drive into rough, he knocked an eight iron to about 80 yards from the green and then hit a sandwedge to 10 feet. As happens so often with lagged putts, it went straight into the hole for a closing birdie and a winning margin that he never envisaged.

Though there was invariably at least a hole separating Rocca and Faldo, they each sensed they were engaged in a duel for the title. So, Rocca's disclosure afterwards about David Leadbetter's involvement in his win became particularly intriguing. Indeed one suspects that Faldo may be tempted to engage in some gentle chastisement when next they meet.

"This week, my friend David (Leadbetter) told me I was in wrong position when I putted," said Rocca. "I was in front of the ball and I was using too much wrist. I was moving too much and you don't make birdies if you move too much."

On Sunday, Paul Lawrie revealed that he, too, had received an invaluable putting lesson from Leadbetter. All of this, while Faldo was struggling to share second place. It hardly seemed fair.