Paul Dunne was on course for a first European Tour win as he opened up a three-shot lead at the turn in the final round of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.
The Irishman played his first nine holes at Close House Golf Club in 30 to get to 16 under and lead the way from German Florian Fritsch, England's Tyrrell Hatton and overnight leader Robert Karlsson.
World Number Six Rory McIlroy, English trio Chris Hanson, Ian Poulter and Graeme Storm and Swede David Lingmerth were then at 12 under.
Dunne had a stellar amateur career, playing in the Walker Cup and leading the 2015 Open Championship after 54 holes but this would be his first professional win after losing out in a play-off to Edoardo Molinari at the Trophée Hassan II in April.
Hanson holed a 12-footer on the first and when he made another putt from similar range on the second he was quickly up into a share of the lead.
Storm hit an excellent approach into the first to get into the lead but Hanson dropped a shot on the third before he was replaced in the leading group by Dunne after a moment of brilliance.
The 24 year old missed the green with his second into the first but his recovery was stunning, using the slope to hole a left-to-right chip.
Fritsch was the man making a big move and after birdies on the first, fourth and sixth, he holed a long putt on the seventh to get within a shot of the lead.
That was soon two back, however, as Storm - from nearby Hartlepool - holed a 12-foot putt up the hill on the third to massive cheers from the home crowd.
Dunne made a second birdie of the day on the fourth while Karlsson surrendered a three-putt bogey and when both men put their tee-shots close on the fifth, Dunne was in the lead.
Hanson made a third birdie of the day on the sixth to get to 12 under and McIlroy was just one shot further back as he took advantage of the par five for the fourth day in a row.
When the final group went through the sixth, Dunne made his big move, finding the green in two and holing from five feet to lead by three.
McIlroy was soon one of the men three back as he put his tee-shot on the eighth close and made a third birdie in a row to bring a huge cheer from the packed crowd around the green.
Hanson birdied the ninth but then dropped a shot on the tenth and with Storm making first bogey of the day on the eighth, McIlroy was alone as the nearest challenger.
He soon had company, however, as Storm made a bounceback birdie on the ninth, playing partner Hatton followed up a gain on the sixth with another and Fritsch picked up shots on the 11th and 13th.
Karlsson birdied the ninth to join the group at 13 under but Storm dropped a shot on the tenth and McIlroy flew the 11th to drop back.
Dane Lucas Bjerregaard - last week's winner - was at 11 under alongside Spaniard Nacho Elvira and Ireland's Shane Lowry.
