Late nerves from Matt Wallace opened the door for Marcus Kinhult to claim his maiden European Tour title at the Betfred British Masters.
Wallace, who held at least a share of the lead after the middle two sets, had the opportunity to essentially close the door on the par-3 16th hole at Hillside, when Kinhult missed his par putt.
A birdie would have given the 29-year old Englishman a two-stroke advantage with two to play. But Wallace failed to capitalize, and it came back to bite him.
Wallace, clearly frustrated by the missed opportunity on No. 16, closed with two more pars – both makeable birdies, while Kinhult righted the ship, and produced a sterling birdie-birdie finish, highlighted by a final-hole gain from eight feet, to clinch his first victory on 16-under par.
“I’ve been dreaming about it for such a long time and to finally do it is sort of amazing,” said Kinhult. “It was so close all day between us. It was a bit like a match play between us – and then Bob and Eddie played well on the back nine today. They were up there, as well.
“But it was nice to play with Matt. He’s a great guy and a good competitor. So yeah, it was good fun.
“This is a very prestigious event and a nice little trophy to have. To get it as my first win is special.”
A visibly angry Wallace stomped off the green, and signed for a four-day score of 15-under to land T2 alongside Eddie Pepperell (66) and Robert MacIntyre (68).
Scotland’s Richie Ramsay (72) closed with a birdie to grab solo fifth on 12 under, one clear Englishmen Paul Waring (67) and Jordan Smith (68), who were joint sixth on 11 under.
Final Leaderboard: Top-5
1. Marcus Kinhult -16 (-2)
2. Eddie Pepperell -15 (-6)
2. Robert MacIntyre -15 (-4)
2. Matt Wallace -15 (-1)
5. Richie Ramsay -12 (E)