EUROPEAN

• Karlsson hangs on to win in Germany

  
  

  Cologne, Germany (Sports Network) - Robert Karlsson will head into the Ryder Cup fresh off a victory after shooting a one-under 71 Sunday to win the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

  Karlsson claimed his eighth European Tour title with an up-and-down round that was good enough to hold off a charging Francesco Molinari by two shots.

  It was the lanky Swede's first victory in two years, coming near the end of a sparkling season that has seen him collect nine other top-10 finishes -- including three in major championships -- without another win.

  Karlsson, after a round that included five birdies and four bogeys, finished at 13-under-par 275.

  "It's very nice to win, a great relief, and it would have felt a bit strange not to win this season because I've been playing so well," said Karlsson, who moved to second place on the European Tour money list behind Padraig Harrington.

  Molinari strung together four consecutive birdies on the back nine to trim Karlsson's lead to three shots, then pulled within two when Karlsson bogeyed the 16th hole. But that's as close as it got.

  The 25-year-old Italian closed with a two-under 70 to take second place at 11- under 277.

  Miguel Angel Jimenez, set to be a teammate of Karlsson's next week at Valhalla, fired a six-under 66 in the final round to share third place with 2005 U.S.

  Open champion Michael Campbell (70) and Ross Fisher (70) at nine- under 279.

  The other two European Ryder Cup players in the field -- Soren Hansen and Graeme McDowell -- also fared well ahead their matches against the United States.

  Hansen, the 2007 Mercedes-Benz champion, shot a 69 and tied for eighth place at six-under 282. McDowell had a 71 and shared 16th place at two-under 286.

  "Hopefully Nick (Faldo, the European Tour captain) will be delighted," said Karlsson. "It was a pretty good result for all of us." But it was Karlsson's day.

  Following a dubious end to his third round, after which he was assessed a one- stroke penalty for something that happened on the second green, Karlsson carried a three-shot lead into Sunday.

  The advantage was anything but safe as Karlsson played erratically over Gut Larchenhof's front nine, mixing four birdies with three bogeys while making just two pars.

  He settled down to par four consecutive holes from No. 9, but Molinari picked up his game at the end of that run. The young Italian's four straight birdies drew him within a few shots, and Karlsson's bogey at 16 made it even closer.

  Molinari, the 2006 Italian Open winner, came tantalizingly close to making birdie putts at the 17th and 18th holes -- but ultimately failed to catch Karlsson.

  "It got closer than necessary, maybe, but I felt there was not much more I could do," said Karlsson. "All credit to Francesco, he played fantastic the last eight or nine holes.

  "I just tried to do my own thing, but it's not easy when he is holing putts from 40 feet. But in the end it was enough."

  09/14 13:28:52 ET