Bradley Neil clinches European Tour card after tense finish in Oman

Clement Sordet claimed a two-shot victory in the Challenge Tour's season-ending NBO Golf Classic Grand Final in Oman as Bradley Neil held his nerve to earn a European Tour card.

Sordet's composed final-round 70 clinched his second victory of the year and lifted him to second place in the final Road to Oman standings behind champion Tapio Pulkkanen, while Neil snatched the last of the 15 places on offer for full European Tour membership next season.

The 2014 Amateur Championship winner endured a nervy finish after a bogey at the 17th left him needing a par at the 72nd hole to stay in the all-important top 15 in the order of merit, but he was up to the challenge and calmly rattled in his par putt from three feet to cap a resolute 69.

Despite finishing seven shots adrift of Sordet, Neil had done just enough to earn his rookie campaign on the European Tour next season along with Scott Fernandez, who also finish bogey-par when a mistake at the last would have seen him drop out of the overall top 15.

"After I bogeyed 17, I didn't really know what to expect coming up the last or where I was standing," said Neil. "I didn't have a clue what was going on and I was just delighted when that last putt dropped. After going out in three under, it was actually in my hands, I wasn't having to shoot an amazing back nine and I was playing well.

"It was really tough to focus on my game and I had to be really strong mentally to focus on what I had to do. It's been a long, long season and it was horrible to come into the week in 16th place and unable to relax, but it was worth it now."

The 21-year-old Scot and Fernandez took the final two European Tour cards ahead of Sebastian Heisele and Robin Sciot-Siegrist, while Estanislao Goya and Oliver Lindell also missed out after starting the final round inside the top 15 in the projected rankings.

Goya, who led at the halfway stage, struggled to a final-round 76 in the blustery conditions at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat and tumbled to seven under alongside Lindell, who dropped four shots over the final four holes in a 77.

European Challenge Tour Golf

But there were no such problems for Sordet, who maintained his two-stroke advantage for most of the final day as the Frenchman closed on 15 under par, two clear of Marcus Kinhult and three ahead of Erik van Rooyen and Fernandez.