RICHARD GREEN charged from seven shots behind to win the Portugal Masters yesterday as steven o'hara secured his second top 10 finish of the season - and almost his card.
The australian left-hander began the tension-packed final round trailing spanish youngster Pablo Martin, and with another 13 players ahead of him.
However, with nerves and the breeze taking its toll, the 39-yearold from Melbourne, an aussie V8 supercar fanatic, stormed through with a closing 65 for an 18 under par aggregate of 270.
And Green won despite bogeying two of the last three holes, which at the time he thought would cost him victory.
There were still 18 players on the course when he signed his card, a good 90 minutes before the last group completed the round. But most of the contenders faltered badly.
Martin, who won the Estoril open in 2007 as an amateur, crashed with a 75, driving into the water at the 18th, while oliver Wilson and Jeppe huldahl, joint second overnight, disappeared with rounds of 76 and 75.
While Green survived to claim the ?435,540 jackpot, o'hara was half-an-inch from sealing his Tour card for next season.
The scot, 125th in the merit list going into the tournament, hit one of the shots of his life at the last, a 4 iron from 207 yards into the wind to eight feet.
Had he holed the birdie putt his card for next season was secure, but, agonisingly, he left it on the lip.
However, with a cheque for ?45,143 he has climbed to 115th in the race to Dubai, exactly the limit for retaining the card.
"If i'd holed that putt i'd have kept my card, easy," said o'hara after a 69 and a 14-under-par aggregate of 274 earned him a share of ninth place. "But i'm delighted the way i played, considering i was so nervous.
"It was a good performance, and my putting was solid. i birdied the first two holes from 10 feet and 15 feet. i've got next week as well in the Castello Masters in Valencia. it's my last tournament of the season."
And, reassuringly, his 24-year-old brother, Paul, having played his last event of the season on the ETPD Tour in Germany, will again be on the bag. They work well together, Paul being especially supportive on the greens.
"stevie played well, considering the pressure he was under," said Paul, who had one win and eight top 10s on the satellite Tour.
As soon as he signed his card o'hara called his manager, Brian Marchbank.
"Brian knows all the details and he reckons i probably need a bit more to be absolutely sure," said steven. "Even without next week, he says i have a chance as it is."
O'hara's cause is helped by the fact that at least six players will be removed from the order of merit as they won't have played the minimum of 12 events this season.
With the leaders shedding shots, Francesco Molinari ended up in a four-way tie for second place after his second 62 of the week.
Molinari handed in his card at 1.30pm and it wasn't until 4.30pm that Green finally passed him, going on to win by two shots from, among others, the ryder Cup italian.
"It was a strange finish", said Green after his third European Tour victory. "i had 64 in my mind. But a win's a win."
It was an extraordinary week for Molinari, who shot two 74s as well as two 62s.
"When you shoot two 62s you really should be winning," he said.
Paul Lawrie won the battle of the aberdonians, outscoring playing partner richie ramsay 69 to 71.
But that was little consolation to the 1999 open champion.
"My putting was diabolical," said Lawrie after bogeying two of the last four holes.
Ramsay was similarly afflicted. he had 30 putts in his 72 to finish two behind his fellow aberdonian.
Unluckiest golfer of the week was anthony Wall.
His tee shot at the short 16th flew straight into the hole and jumped straight out again, finishing 20 yards away in the rough. instead of a hole-in-one, he had a bogey 4.
