His 8-under par 276 was enough, the European Tour reported Tuesday, to help him clinch the prestigious Reuters Stroke Average Award for the European Tour for 2005.

Garcia compiled rounds of 68,67, 68 and 73 to finish the tournament two shots behind McGinley but with a seasonal average good enough to see him edge past Ernie Els, ther previous owner if the best Stroke Average.

Garcia, still only 25 and already the World No 6, took 2,648 shots in his 38 rounds of golf in Europe this year at an average of 69.68.

Els, in the meantime, played 44 rounds in 3,069 shots for an average of 69.75, while in third place was The European Tour Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, who averaged 69.83 for 86 rounds.

In the longest drive category, Argentina's big-hitting Angel Cabrera produced another blistering display off the tees at Valderrama to increase his average drive to 306 yards and snatch the Distance Award away from England's Robert Rock and Joakim Bäckstrom of Sweden, who both averaged 305.6 yards.

The Driving Accuracy category was decided prior to the Volvo Masters, with England's straight-hitting Andrew Marshall and Australian Pete O'Malley sharing the first prize, each having found an average of 10 fairways per round (71.4 per cent).

Els hit most greens in regulation (average 76.4 per cent which equates to 13.8 greens per round). Henrik Stenson of Sweden was second here with 74.8 per cent.

Luke Donald, who tied for third at the Volvo Masters in a last gasp effort to win a title on the regular tour this year, held on to the Putts per Greens in Regulation Award (1.684), finishing ahead of Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood, who both averaged 1.716, and finished second to Frenchman Christian Cévaër in the Average Putts per Round category.

Cévaër averaged 27.6 putts per round, Donald 28

Phillip Walton of Ireland topped the Sand Saves with 75 per cent and compatriot Padraig Harrington did likewise in the Scrambles section with 67.3 per cent.

Here are the top 20 in stroke average and the top 10 in each of the other categories of the Reuters Statistics for 205. They should help give you a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the Tour's top guns

STROKE AVERAGE:

1 Sergio Garcia (Sp) 69.68

2 Ernie Els (Sa) 69.75

3 Colin Montgomerie (Scot) 69.83

4 David Howell (Eng) 69.94

5 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 69.97

6 Luke Donald (Eng) 70.02

7 José Maria Olazábal (Spa) 70.04

8 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70.08

9 Thaworn Wiratchant (Thai) 70.13

10 Thomas Björn (Den) 70.27

11 Adam Scott (Aus) 70.43 2

12 Miguel Angel Jiménez (Spa) 70.43

13 Retief Goosen (RSA 70.48

13 Bradley Dredge (Wal) 70.48

15 Lian-Wei Zhang (Prc) 70.52

16 Gary Orr (Scot) 70.56

17 Paul Mcginley (Ire) 70.57

18 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 70.61

19 Paul Broadhurst (Eng) 70.64

20 Steve Webster (Eng) 70.64

DRIVING ACCURACY (fairways per round)

1 Andrew Marshall (Eng) 10

1 Peter O'malley (Aus) 10

3 Paul Eales (Eng) 9.7

4 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 9.7

5 Maarten Lafeber (Nl) 9.6

5 Nick O'Hern (Aus) 9.6

7 Gary Orr (Scot) 9.6

8 Peter Senior (Aus) 9.5

9 Ben Mason (Eng) 9.5

10 Stuart Manley (Wal) 9.5

DRIVING DISTANCE (ave yards per hole)

1 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 306.0

2 Robert Rock (Eng) 305.6

2 Joakim Bäckström (Swe) 305.6

4 Marcel Siem (Ger) 305.0

5 Titch Moore (RSA) 304.3

6 Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 303.8 37

7 François Delamontagne (Fra) 303.0

8 Ernie Els (Sa) 302.8

9 Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 301.7

10 Pelle Edberg (Swe) 301.3

GREENS IN REGULATION (per round)

1 Ernie Els (RSA) 13.8

2 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 13.5

2 Peter O'malley (Aus) 13.5

4 Terry Price (Aus) 13.3

4 Miguel Angel Martin (Sp) 13.3

6 Miguel Angel Jiménez (Sp) 13.2

7 Colin Montgomerie (Scot) 13.1

7 Maarten Lafeber (Nl) 13.1

9 Ivo Giner (Sp) 13.0

9 Peter Hanson (Swe) 13.0

PUTTS PER ROUND

1 Christian Cévaër (Fr) 27.6

2 Luke Donald (Eng) 28.0

3 Paul Broadhurst (Eng) 28.2

4 David Howell (Eng) 28.3

5 Jamie Spence (Eng) 28.4

5 Padraig Harrington (Ire) 28.4

5 Pierre Fulke (Swe) 28.4

8 Lee Westwood (Eng) 28.5

9 Thongchai Jaidee (Thai) 28.6

9 Bradley Dredge (Wal) 28.6

9 Darren Fichardt (Sa) 28.6

PUTTS PER GIR

1 Luke Donald (Eng) 1.684

2 Thongchai Jaidee (Thai) 1.716

2 Lee Westwood (Eng) 1.716

4 Ernie Els (Sa) 1.730

4 Brett Rumford (Aus) 1.730

6 Darren Clarke (N.Ire) 1.732

7 Christian Cévaër (Fr) 1.737

7 Andrew Mclardy (Sa) 1.737

9 Jamie Spence (Eng) 1.740

10 Bradley Dredge (Wal) 1.741

SAND SAVES (percentage)

1 Philip Walton (Ire) 75.0

2 Mark Roe (Eng) 69.0

3 Christopher Hanell (Swe) 68.3

4 Andrea Maestroni (It) 67.5 27

5 Gordon Brand Jnr (Scot) 67.3

6 Miguel Angel Jiménez (Sp) 67.2

7 Richard Bland (Eng) 67.0

8 José Maria Olazábal (Spa) 65.7

9 Paul Eales (Eng) 64.9

10 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 64.4