Gordon Manson secured his maiden European Senior Tour title in the Swiss Seniors Open courtesy of a superb back nine of 31 which included an eagle putt from 60 feet.
Manson closed with a round of 66 for a 14 under par aggregate winning total on a day when the lead changed hands with thrilling regularity at Golf Club Bad Ragaz, in the Swiss Alps.
The Austrian had held a slender advantage heading into the final round, but a level par front nine of 35 opened the door to François Lamare, who charged through the pack with seven birdies in 16 holes.
Just when it looked as though the Frenchman would set an imposing clubhouse target, he three-putted the last hole for a bogey which dropped him back to 11 under par.
At that point in-form Australian Peter Fowler, seeking his third win of a stunning season, entered the fray with an eagle at the 16th hole, only to falter with back to back bogeys from the 17th.
That left just Scott Drummond, Phil Golding and Manson – playing in the final group – as the only serious rivals for the title, and Manson promptly took charge of proceedings with a dramatic eagle on the 16th hole, where he sunk “the putt of my life” from 60 feet.
Despite a late charge by Golding, who birdied three of the final four holes, Manson held his nerve to take the title by two shots from the Englishman, with Drummond, Lamare and American Jerry Smith sharing third place on 11 under par.
Manson, whose cheque for €45,000 moved him to third place in the Senior Tour Order of Merit, has now finished second and first in his last two tournaments.
He said: “I feel ten feet tall – this is such a special moment.
To beat some of the legends of the game and win on the Senior Tour has been a dream, and now it’s a reality. Manson
I knew I’d been playing well of late, but to get the win is just fantastic.
“I’ve hit the ball so well all week and again on the front nine today, but the putts refused to drop. It was obviously frustrating, but I told myself to stay calm because I was confident the putter would warm up. I holed two good putts on the 13 and 14th, and the one on 16 has to be the putt of my life.
“It was 20 metres with a big break from left to right, but it was on the perfect line all the way and when it dropped, I almost burst into tears! But I had to compose myself quickly because I knew the job wasn’t done, and it was only when I hit the green with my approach to the 18th that I could finally relax for the first time.
Lamare was left to rue that closing bogey, but the Frenchman – who graduated from the Qualifying School – was still pleased to secure the highest finish of his fledgling Senior Tour career.
He said: “I’m obviously disappointed with the bogey on the 18th, but overall it was a still a fantastic week for me. I love Bad Ragaz, not just the tournament but also the hospitality – it’s just fantastic. I played really well today, and in the end the three-putt on the 18th probably didn’t make a difference. So I’m still very happy.”
Golding, meanwhile, was left to rue too many missed putts.
He said: "I played very well this week but missed so many putts it's unbelievable. But that's golf. I’m happy to have birdied the 18th, because it was important to finish second. It was another fantastic week, the tournament is perfect, the hotel is great, and I just love everything about Bad Ragaz."
Earlier in the day, Switzerland’s André Bossert delighted the home crowds with a stunning round of 61 to finish in a share of eighth place on nine under par.
He said: “That was a fantastic round, 61 is my best score in a tournament ever. After the eagle on the 16th, I thought for a moment about a 60 or even a 59 but, could only make par on the last two.
“Still, it gives me great confidence, and I feel ready to win. After Saturday’s round I started to doubt myself, because I played so poorly. But that’s all forgotten about now. I’m back, I’m very happy and I’m already looking forward to next year’s tournament!”
