Simon Forsstrom carded a seven under par 64 on the final day of the KPMG Trophy to climb up the leaderboard and secure a maiden victory on the European Challenge Tour.
Starting the day two shots back from overnight leader Alexander Knappe, the Swede made the perfect start at Cleydael Golf and Country Club, picking up a birdie at the par five first.
The 27 year old then made two further gains over the front nine to reach the turn in 33, putting himself firmly in contention going into the home straight.
Despite challenges from England’s Steven Tiley and Germany’s Knappe, it was Forsstrom who stole the show, making two further birdies and an eagle at the 17th which handed the Swede a sublime two shot victory.
“It feels really great and I played the perfect round,” said Forsstrom, who earned his playing rights for the 2016 Road to Oman after finishing inside the top five in the satellite Nordic Golf League last season.
“It was a brilliant round. I made a birdie at the first, fifth and ninth and then over the back nine I was driving the ball really well. I put it to inches on the 13th hole and it nearly went in for eagle.
“Through the last four holes I could see I was near the top and I knew I had to go even lower. When I made eagle on the 17th it was a great feeling and I knew at that moment that I had won.
“The guys on this tour are really good and everybody goes really low so you really need to up your game. I am just so happy that I have been able to step up my game at a higher level.
“It was really nice playing in front of the big crowds here and it was fun to have lots of people watching. It is something you need to practice if you want to perform at the highest level.
“I have to drive to Saint Omer tonight to play next week but I am sure later on it will sink in that I have won.”
Runner-up in the outskirts of Antwerp was Englishman Tiley. The 33 year old followed up a sublime eight under par 63 yesterday with a six under par 65 to reach 18 under par overall.
Belgium’s Thomas Detry finished tied sixth in his first event as a professional. A birdie at the last meant the 23 year old finished the week at 14 under par.
Final scores:
264 S Forsstrom (Swe) 69 66 65 64,
266 S Tiley (Eng) 68 70 63 65,
268 P Maddy (Eng) 67 66 66 69, A Knappe (Ger) 62 68 68 70,
269 O Farr (Wal) 70 64 71 64,
270 J Guerrier (Fra) 69 69 65 67, N Geyger (Chi) 64 68 69 69, T Detry (Bel) 66 66 68 70,
271 G Porteous (Eng) 69 67 68 67, J Barnes (Eng) 71 68 67 65, A Björk (Swe) 66 67 69 69, J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 67 68 64 72, E Johansen (Nor) 69 70 65 67, S Fernandez (Esp) 73 66 67 65, D Foos (Ger) 70 67 66 68, J Sarasti (Esp) 69 65 67 70,
272 K Eriksson (Swe) 70 67 69 66, A Karlsson (Swe) 67 68 71 66, A Rai (Eng) 68 67 67 70, A Velasco (Esp) 66 69 71 66, A Chesters (Eng) 69 69 68 66,
273 L Gagli (Ita) 67 71 67 68, P Whiteford (Sco) 68 65 68 72, P Angles (Esp) 71 65 67 70, V Riu (Fra) 66 68 70 69, A Pavan (Ita) 65 69 70 69, B Stow (Eng) 65 69 73 66,
274 J Glennemo (Swe) 68 67 70 69, W Harrold (Eng) 69 65 69 71, D Huizing (Ned) 65 70 71 68, B Paolini (USA) 68 70 68 68, C Koerbler (Aut) 68 70 67 69, J Dantorp (Swe) 71 68 69 66, J Girrbach (Sui) 68 70 68 68,
275 J Carlota (Por) 66 68 72 69, M Armitage (Eng) 71 66 69 69, S Hutsby (Eng) 67 69 66 73, M Decottignies-Lafon (Fra) 67 70 68 70, R Kellett (Sco) 67 68 68 72, S Heisele (Ger) 67 70 68 70, D Berna Manzanares (Esp) 68 70 67 70, G King (Eng) 65 66 72 72,
276 T Gornik (Slo) 68 67 66 75, A Snobeck (Fra) 71 68 68 69, M Lampert (Ger) 70 67 72 67,
277 B Rusch (Sui) 70 69 69 69, K Samooja (Fin) 72 67 69 69, M Rominger (Sui) 70 69 69 69, D Law (Sco) 70 68 68 71, C Sharvin (Nir) 66 68 72 71, A Hartø (Den) 69 70 69 69,
278 J Loughrey (Eng) 68 71 71 68, M Tullo (Chi) 68 69 72 69, J Stalter (Fra) 67 67 70 74, D Løkke (Den) 69 68 70 71, N Marsh (Eng) 68 69 68 73, J Blaauw (RSA) 72 67 72 67,
279 D Perrier (Fra) 69 68 71 71, C Bouniol (Fra) 70 65 71 73,
280 C Sutherland (Sco) 69 69 67 75,
281 M Keskari (Ger) 69 70 69 73, P Shields (Sco) 69 70 73 69, S Jeppesen (Swe) 70 69 70 72, T Tree (Eng) 67 71 73 70,
282 L Motta (Ita) 70 69 72 71, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 69 68 69 76,
286 F Calmels (Fra) 67 70 71 78,
287 J Mullen (Eng) 70 69 72 76, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 71 66 75 75,
140 S Kim (USA) 69 71 0 0, H Joannes (Bel) 70 70 0 0, C Selfridge (Nir) 71 69 0 0, R Saxton (Ned) 70 70 0 0, M Wiegele (Aut) 71 69 0 0, O Lengden (Swe) 72 68 0 0, R Santos (Por) 67 73 0 0, A Perrino (Ita) 71 69 0 0, J Heath (Eng) 72 68 0 0, A Hortal (Esp) 67 73 0 0, N Quintarelli (Ita) 70 70 0 0, K Ulenaers (am) (Bel) 69 71 0 0,
141 M Lafeber (Ned) 68 73 0 0, R Enoch (Wal) 71 70 0 0, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 69 72 0 0, T Remkes (Ned) 71 70 0 0, E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) 69 72 0 0, D Van Driel (Ned) 69 72 0 0, R McGee (Irl) 70 71 0 0, C Russo (Fra) 72 69 0 0, B Ritthammer (Ger) 71 70 0 0, O Bekker (RSA) 71 70 0 0, A De Bondt (am) (Bel) 72 69 0 0,
142 S Brown (Eng) 71 71 0 0, F Serghini (Mar) 73 69 0 0, F Becker (Ger) 67 75 0 0, A Joudar (Mar) 72 70 0 0, J Cafourek (Cze) 71 71 0 0, C Mivis (Bel) 74 68 0 0, L Buijs (Ned) 71 71 0 0, M Schneider (Ger) 72 70 0 0, C Feldborg Nielsen (Swe) 72 70 0 0, M Hocaoglu (Tur) 73 69 0 0, C Ford (Eng) 71 71 0 0, S Hodgson (Eng) 71 71 0 0, W Besseling (Ned) 72 70 0 0, D Wright (Eng) 66 76 0 0,
143 M Delpodio (Ita) 74 69 0 0, M Bremner (RSA) 75 68 0 0, A Rota (Ita) 72 71 0 0, C Arendell (USA) 70 73 0 0, T Murray (Eng) 76 67 0 0, C Gloet (Den) 73 70 0 0, T Pulkkanen (Fin) 74 69 0 0, D Jennevret (Swe) 70 73 0 0, G Weydts Caessens (am) (Bel) 73 70 0 0,
144 R Roussel (Fra) 75 69 0 0, M Simonsen (Den) 70 74 0 0, M Stewart (Sco) 70 74 0 0, D Ulrich (Sui) 74 70 0 0, S Piaget (Mon) 71 73 0 0, R Kind (Ned) 73 71 0 0, D Stewart (Sco) 74 70 0 0, P Figueiredo (Por) 72 72 0 0,
145 O Henningsson (Swe) 73 72 0 0, G Axell (Swe) 72 73 0 0, T Bakker (Fin) 70 75 0 0, A Bernadet (Fra) 70 75 0 0,
146 G Woolgar (Eng) 76 70 0 0, G Watremez (Bel) 75 71 0 0, S Fallon (Eng) 73 73 0 0, E Blom (Swe) 72 74 0 0, E Saltman (Sco) 72 74 0 0, J Wrisdale (Eng) 71 75 0 0, G Shaw (Nir) 73 73 0 0, P Relecom (Bel) 72 74 0 0, A Dumont De Chassart (am) (Bel) 71 75 0 0, A Capart (am) (Bel) 72 74 0 0,
147 K Johannessen (Nor) 79 68 0 0, B Robinson (Eng) 74 73 0 0, C Blomstrand (Swe) 75 72 0 0, E Kemaloglu (Tur) 73 74 0 0, M Nixon (Eng) 76 71 0 0, D Suchan (Cze) 79 68 0 0, D Coupland (Eng) 73 74 0 0, J Doherty (Sco) 74 73 0 0, K Hesbois (Bel) 77 70 0 0, A Tadini (Ita) 69 78 0 0,
148 D De Vooght (Bel) 74 74 0 0, C O’Neil (Sco) 73 75 0 0, S Einhaus (Ger) 70 78 0 0, P Widegren (Swe) 72 76 0 0, B Parker (Eng) 75 73 0 0, B Casey (Irl) 74 74 0 0,
153 Y Van Doren (am) (Bel) 75 78 0 0,
155 L Ruuska (Fin) 79 76 0 0,
166 S Cairns (Ger) 81 85 0 0,
