Arjun Atwal created a small piece of history today by winning the Singapore Masters with a comfortable five shot margin to become the first Indian to win a European Tour event.
Atwal enjoyed a faultless round of 68, which contained four birdies and the rest pars, to secure a winning 14-under par total, 274, ahead of Australian left-hander Richard Green (70), who finished second on nine-under.
Aside from collecting the £108,806 winner’s cheque, Atwal also gained a two-year exemption to the Tour in this his rookie season.
"I can now really afford to relax. I plan to play in Malaysia and Qatar and then take Madeira off, now that I don't have to worry about losing my card for some time. It does really take the pressure off me," said Atwal.
The win also puts to rest any notion of the 28-year-old’s inability to cope with the pressure. Previously, Atwal led going into the final day of two Asian Tour events only to squander his advantage in Myanmar and Delhi.
Nick Faldo rounded off a solid week for his third top 10 finish of the season with a final round 70 for an eight-under 280 aggregate. Despite struggling in the stifling Singapore heat at Laguna National, the six-times major winner felt pleased with his third place:
"I think if someone offered me top three yesterday I would have accepted without a second thought, I felt much better today," said an exhausted Faldo in pursuit of the clubhouse.
Nick O’Hern, leader after the first two days, fell away badly and only just managed to stay in the top 10 after a poor final round 76. The second Australian left-hander in the field dropped back to five-under 283 even with a course record 64 on the opening day.
additional reporting by PA