Brown Scores Last-Gasp Triumph

Brown Scores Last-Gasp TriumphEngland’s Steven Brown won his first European Tour title Sunday, the Portugal Masters, after shooting a final-round 66 at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.
Brown, 32, had entered the tournament 150th in the Race to Dubai Rankings and needed a good result to break into the top 115 and keep his European Tour card for next season. He went one better, securing his card by overtaking 54-hole leader Brandon Stone of South Africa and winning by a stroke with a 17-under-par 267 total after rounds of 69-67-65-66. Stone (closing 70) finished T2 with countryman Justin Walters (66).Image: art in text“You just never know with this game,” Brown said. “It’s crazy to think how well I’ve played the last month to how bad it was the first two-thirds of the year. I never thought this was going to happen. I was just counting down ready for (Qualifying School) to get my game ready for that.“The last few weeks I’ve had a calmness in my head. Even today, I liked the fact that I had to go for it and I wasn’t just trying to have a good result. That’s probably the difference.”It came down to the final nine on Sunday. Stone held a three-stroke lead making the turn, but Walters birdied the par-5 12th and par-4 14th to climb to within one. Ad embed: Ben HoganBrown tapped in for a birdie at the 11th to edge closer to the top of the leaderboard before making an eagle at the 12th to tie Walters, one back of Stone. After Stone bogeyed the 13th, there was a three-way tie at the top. First Walters and then Stone three-putted the 16th, giving Brown the lead. Brown parred the last two holes to clinch victory. Adrien Saddier of France finished fourth at 15 under after a closing 66. Englishman Chris Paisley shot a final-round 64 to finish fifth at 14 under. RESULTS | RACE TO DUBAIStaff and Wire ReportsWhatsInsideCoverThat We Haven’t Seen It All From TigerCallaway Super Hybrid 102819An Outing With PunchFisher’s Roller Coaster Resumes Its RisePlus ExcerptPicture This: 1Picture This: 4Picture This: 20Picture This: 49Picture This: 81Range RatWoods’ 82nd Win ‘Just Crazy’Brown Scores Last-Gasp TriumphSingh Brar, Wang Keep Cards With Portugal HeroicsFire Still Burns In Mellower AlfredssonLPGA 102819Jang Outduels Kang In KoreaRolex Player Of The Year Ko Focused On GratitudeHe Leads LPGA Q-SeriesU.S. Tops Canada To Win Women’s PGA CupA Day At The OpenStatisticsPostScriptMastheadWhat's InsideKBS Extends Shaft Expertise To WoodsA Quick 9R&A Women In Golf Charter Continues To GrowEuro Titleist 102819Euro PING 102819Hill, 15, Sets Mark With MENA Tour Triumph