Sunday 24 September 2017 18:44, UK
Lucas Bjerregaard secured a maiden European Tour title with a convincing four-stroke win at the Portugal Masters.
The Dane carded a six-under 65 at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course to extend his overnight advantage and pull clear of nearest challenger Marc Warren.
Warren had been joined on 16 under by George Coetzee until the South African's final-hole triple-bogey, seeing him slip to tied-seventh, with Graeme Storm and Eddie Pepperell sharing third place.
Bjerregaard began the week 114th in the Race to Dubai standings and needed a strong finish to the season to retain his card, but victory now secures his playing privileges for 2018.
Taking a one-shot lead into the final round, Bjerregaard opened with a 10-foot birdie and followed back-to-back gains from the third by holing a 25-footer at the eighth.
The world No 387 saw his lead halved from four strokes to two with a miscued chip and bogey at the ninth, as playing partner Coetzee birdied the ninth and Storm racked up a hat-trick of gains around the turn.
The final group exchanged birdies at the 10th and Bjerregaard added another at the 11th, before he cancelled out a blemish at the 14th with a kick-in gain at the next to go three clear.
Warren briefly cut the gap with an eagle-three at the 17th but bogeyed the last, while Bjerregaard nudged in to birdie the par-five before closing his winning round with a two-putt par.
Pepperell carded a bogey-free 68 to secure a third consecutive top-five finish and join Storm on 15 under, with Portuguese pair Ricardo Gouveia and Jose-Filipe Lima a further shot back.
