Ormsby 'stoked' with maiden European Tour
It has taken Wade Ormsby 264 attempts but the Australian is now a European Tour winner after a one-shot victory at the Hong Kong Open.
On a dramatic final day at the Hong Kong GC, Ormsby was two shots ahead heading into his last hole but three-putted to make bogey, sign for a 68 and set the clubhouse lead at 11-under par.
Rafa Cabrera Bello, who started the day in the final pairing on nine under, made birdie on the 17th to draw level with Ormsby.
A par on the 18th would have forced a play-off but the Spaniard's second shot into the bunker made for a difficult putt for par which he missed, handing the Adelaide-born 37-year-old his second professional win.
"Feels amazing, mate. Just trying to hold it together here," Ormsby said.
"Yeah, pretty stoked. Well, not pretty stoked: Very stoked."
The biggest title of Orsmby's career earned him 281,786 euros ($A440,000) and a European Tour exemption until the end of 2020.
"It means a lot to me," a tearful Ormsby said.
"I've played a lot of golf in Europe, everywhere, and a few bumps along the way but it's pretty cool to get a win this late in your career.
"I didn't think it would take this long but first one's always pretty special."
Victory has catapulted Ormsby up 201 places on the world rankings to 118.
"I played solid all day. Just tried to keep pumping it out. Hit a lot of greens," he said.
"Putter wasn't quite behaving but just played solid. Sometimes that's good enough.
"A bit disappointing to three-putt the last, but it's a tricky pin down there. Anyway, good enough."
Orsmby became the third Australian to claim the prestigious co-sanctioned -- Euroopean Tour and Asian Tour -- championship after Sam Brazel's maiden Tour win last year and Scott Hend's success in 2014.
After playing his first full season on the European Tour in 2004, Orsmby has had to regain his card via qualifying school on multiple occasions with a second-place finish his previous best showing.
Cabrera Bello (69) finished in a tie for second with Americans Julian Suri (66) and Paul Peterson (67) and Sweden's Alexander Bjork (68).
