Jeppe Huldahl opened up a slender lead at the top of the leaderboard on the final day of The Celtic Manor Wales Open.
The 26-year-old Dane, who has yet to record a top ten finish on the European Tour, started the day in a tie for the lead with England’s Nick Dougherty and Spain’s Ignacio Garrido on five under.
However, a birdie at the short third hole ensured Huldahl took sole possession of first place, as Dougherty and Garrido both started with a succession of pars.
Frenchman Gregory Bourdy was a further shot back on four under after he also managed a two on the third hole, putting him alongside Paul Waring and Simon Dyson, who remained on their overnight score.
Scotland’s Alan McLean was one of a host of players on three under after roaring back into contention with a sensational Sunday charge.
McLean, who held the joint lead after posting 66 on day one of the event, began his final round seven shots off the lead following disappointing rounds of 73 and 76 on Friday and Saturday respectively.
However, starting on the 11th hole, he made five birdies in his opening seven holes, and although he gave a shot back on the first, a birdie at the second lifted him back into a tie for seventh.
McLean was one of a number of players to begin their final round on the 11th hole as the tournament organisers looked to make up for time lost by the third round over-running into this morning.
Fabrizio Zanotti, Paul McGinley and Niclas Fasth were also on three under and made up the top ten, while Englishman David Lynn was another of the earlier starters to storm up the leaderboard, picking up three shots in his first 11 holes to move into a tie for 11th at two under overall.
Earlier in the day, Robert Rock, Ross Fisher and Richie Ramsay had returned to the course to complete the final two holes of their third round.
Rock birdied the 18th to move to three under, but soon slipped down the leaderboard by dropping six shots in as many holes at the start of his fourth round.
Fisher and Ramsay also looked to have fallen out of contention, as they too fell back from their third round aggregates of two under and one under respectively.
