Thriston Lawrence recovered from an early final-round wobble to secure a two-shot victory at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.
The 28-year-old South African, who won this event in 2022, came into the final round at Crans-sur-Sierre GC with a narrow one-shot advantage after players returned to the course on the Sunday morning to finish off the third round following weather disruptions.
But Lawrence suffered a disastrous start to the final round with three consecutive bogeys to fall back behind England’s Matt Wallace. He steadied himself with an eagle at the sixth which re-ignited his round as he backed it up with birdie putts at the 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th, and 14th to card a four-under 66, finish on 22 under, two clear of Wallace, and claim his fifth DP World Tour title.
“Winning is tough,” Lawrence said. “It’s not easy. I was so nervous all day.
I tried to give the guys a chance there (at the start), but I’m so proud of the way I fought out there and massive credit to my team and sponsors. I’m so happy.
“It was a mental thing for me to stay patient all week. After that start, I told myself it’s possible to come back. I’m not a quitter. I need to trust myself and the process. I’ve done it before and I just tried to stay patient. Thankfully it paid off.”
Wallace finished in a tie for second alongside Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard and Finland’s Sami Valimaki while Ryder Cup hopeful Matt Fitzpatrick finished in solo fifth a shot further back after a final-round 67.
What is the next event?
The next event on the DP World Tour schedule is the Amgen Irish Open taking place between 4-7 September at The K Club, Straffan in Ireland.