Clement Charmasson held his nerve to secure a maiden HotelPlanner Tour title in the Challenge de España at Fontanals Golf Club.
The Frenchman signed for a closing two under par round of 69 to go with rounds of 65-67-66 for a 17 under par total, to finish one shot ahead of Dane Victor Sidal Svendsen.
Charmasson, who led by one overnight, extended his advantage to four with five holes to play, but on a dramatic final day in Girona, saw his lead reduced to one before he held on to earn a breakthrough win in front of friends and family.
“I’m just proud,” he said. “Seeing my parents on the side of the 18th green, and all the work for the last 10 years, it’s so fun that I can get to share this with them.
“The last time my friends or my parents saw me play was probably six or seven years ago because I was in college.
“When my ball landed on the green on 18, my dad just screamed, and it made me cry right away.
“It’s good that I have a week off now to get my emotions straight and hopefully I can build some momentum for the rest of the season.”
Charmasson, in only his fifth HotelPlanner Tour start and his fourth since gaining promotion from the Pro Golf Tour last term, parred his opening five holes before three birdies in a four hole stretch from the sixth saw him jump three clear at the turn.
The 26-year-old extended his lead to four with a birdie at the par five 13th, but back-to-back dropped shots on 14 and 15, and a surging Sidal Svendsen, saw his lead cut to one with two holes to play.
Charmasson held firm though, parring his way home to earn a narrow win that sees him climb 108 places to ninth in the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
“I have a rule that I keep saying, to get in contention on the back nine,” he added. “On the front nine I felt very relaxed because it didn’t matter if I was leading or not, I just wanted to be in the mix.
“A couple of bad shots and it gets you away from that. Then I thought, this position is what I work for and to go for it, take the moment. I guess I got it right this time.
“The last four holes, I couldn’t feel anything. I feel like I did it more with my heart than anything else.”
Spaniard Luis Masaveu and Scotsman Euan Walker shared third place on 15 under par, with German Anton Albers – who fired a round-of-the-week ten under par 61 on the final day – countryman Hurly Long and Swiss Benjamin Rusch one shot further back in fifth.
The top four places in the Road to Mallorca Rankings remain the same, with South African Daniel van Tonder retaining his spot as the Number One. Spaniard Quim Vidal moves up one place to fifth, while Sidal Svendsen enters the top ten for the first time this season, with a second-place finish in Girona moving him up 22 places to eighth.
The HotelPlanner Tour returns from May 22-25 for the Danish Golf Challenge at Bogense Golf Club.
