A momentum-halting double at the 8th hole stopped Justin Walters from mounting a charge but he recovered to finish tied-third at the Shot Clock Masters.
Walters finished in the group of four, including Nicolas Colsaerts, in third place on -9. On -10, Scot Connor Syme was the closest to runaway leader Mikko Korhonen, who fired a final round 69 to win the inaugural event by six shots.
The Finn’s round was not perfect – he made his first two bogeys of the week – but he showed little signs of strain after a dominant showing all week at Diamond Country Club.
‘I didn’t dare to think about winning,’ he said. ‘When my last shot had landed on the 18th green, then I knew I had like five or six putts of cushion.
‘It feels great, beautiful. It’s been a long wait so it feels so good. Yes, I have thought that I might not be in this position. I’ve been up there a couple of times and couldn’t do it at those times but now I’m so happy and relieved that I have done it.
‘It’s not easy to win, especially not the first win, so I’m really happy to have done it. I have no words, it’s so good.’
Walters started the day as his main challenger but was +1 through three before turning on the style. Four birdies in a row from the 4th saw him vaulted back into the picture before a six on the 8th. That double was followed by bogeys at the 11th and 14th before gains at the back to back par fives that followed.
Those birdies were enough to get Walters into the top five as he looks to secure his playing rights on the European Tour for next year.
One player who doesn’t have that worry anymore was champion, Mikko Korhonen.
Markus Brier and Oscar Stark added their names to the list of players going over the time limit and ‘earning’ a shot one penalty. Brier went just a second over the limit on his approach to the 7th and Stark was one second too long over his putt on the 4th.
Photo: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
