First kiss for Brown

Having started the fourth day of the Asian Tour SAIL Open with a one-shot lead, Brown beat tingling nerves and tricky greens, and the pack of challengers, who all fell dramatically on the last three holes, to notch up the first professional win of his 12-year-old career. After SSP Chowrasia and Felipe Aguilar, for the third week running, the Asian Tour has a winner for whom the victory means much more than those digits after the currency sign.

Brown shot three-under 69, and the birdie followed by the tears on the 18th green gave him a four-shot win that was closer than it sounds.

Jyoti Randhawa, Australian Scott Hend and Korea’s Noh Seyung-nul tied for second with 10-under 278. Youngster Gaganjeet Bhullar and Malaysia’s Danny Chia, both of who looked likely challengers on the last day, tied for fifth, a further one shot behind.

“I was very nervous, I was nervous all through the day,” Brown said afterwards.

The sunny Saturday morning, though, showed that he was going to give it his best shot. After a birdie on the first and a narrowly missed eagle putt on the second, Brown quickly moved to 13-under.

He found trouble on the par-three seventh, taking three shots for a simple putt for a bogey.

On a day that had many close misses and everywhere you looked players were berating missed putts, Brown just kept steady. On the 12th, he two-putted for birdie to be 13-under again and then prayed.

“A one-shot lead made me feel everybody was chasing me,” he said.

The chasing pack included playing partner Hend, Randhawa, Chia and Webber. But the last three holes finished everyone up. Randhawa dropped shots on the 16th and 17th, Chia followed suit. And when Hend teed off into the water on the last hole, Brown knew he could breathe easy. The birdie on the last, finally, was just special effects.