Ash, England (My Sportsbook) - France's Christian Cevaer won the European Open on Sunday despite shooting a two-over 74 in the final round.

Cevaer parred the tough 18th hole for a one-shot victory over Gary Orr, Steve Webster and Alvaro Quiros. He finished at seven-under-par 281 for his second career win on the European Tour and first since 2004.

Quiros (72) and Webster (71) both bogeyed the 18th hole to slip into a second- place tie with Orr (71) at six-under 282.

Jeev Milkha Singh, who shared the overnight lead with Cevaer, shot a four-over 76 and dropped into a share of fifth place with Stephen Dodd (68) and Chris Wood (73) at five-under 283.

Eight more players finished within five shots of Cevaer. Among them were 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis, who led a four-way tie at four-under 284; 20-year-old Rory McIlroy, who ended alone at three-under 285; and Sergio Garcia, who headlined a three-way tie at two-under 286.

Dodd was the only player among the final 15 pairings who broke 70 on Sunday.

Marcus Fraser forged a four-way tie for the lead with Cevaer, Jose Manuel Lara and Singh when he holed a bunker shot for birdie at the 11th, and the top of the leaderboard remained that crowded the rest of the day.

Cevaer -- with a bogey at No. 9 -- and Singh -- who bogeyed No. 10 -- soon dropped a stroke back, leaving Fraser and Lara tied atop the leaderboard.

It was a disappointing start for Cevaer.

"Shooting three-over is obviously not very pleasing on the front nine, but I made a point to, no matter what happened, to enjoy my golf and enjoy my skills and at the end hang in there," he said.

Cevaer didn't move back into the lead until he birdied the 15th hole, joining Webster and Quiros at seven-under par.

His fellow co-leaders made it easier down the stretch.

Webster hit into the deep rough at the 18th hole and made bogey to fall a shot back. Quiros found the rough twice at the closing hole and also made a bogey, leaving Cevaer a chance to steal the tournament with a par.

Cevaer found the middle of the fairway at 18, then skipped his approach shot just off the back of the green with a rescue-club. Putting from the fringe, Cevaer lagged his third within a foot and tapped in for the win.

The 39-year-old received the customary champagne shower for a Frenchmen.

"It was a good thing to stay focused and go get the par on the last," said Cevaer, whose other win came at the 2004 Spanish Open. "I saw that pin position walking to the 10th and I knew that ... I would rather attack it from the right side.

"It worked out great. Luckily it just stayed short of the rough and I could have a lovely lag. At the end of the day, I was proud to get the job done."