KEY POINTS:
Mark Brown has joined a select group of New Zealand golfers to elbow his way on to the lucrative European Tour.
His win in the US$2.5 million Johnnie Walker Classic in India early today (NZT) earned Brown exempt status on the world's second most influential circuit until the
end of 2010.
He won the European, Asian and Australasian tri-sanctioned event by three shots after storming home with five birdies on the back nine on the outskirts of New Delhi.
A closing round of five-under-par 67 left him on 18-under 270, ahead of a trio containing Japan's Taichiro Kiyota and Australians Scott Strange and Greg Chalmers, who tied for second.
The rewards were immediate, with the winner's cheque of US$ 409,743 ($508,000) promoting Brown from third to first on the Asian Tour's moneylist, with income this season of US$537,833.
He also improved to seventh on the European order of merit with tournament earnings of 320,692 euro ($620,774) after collects in three of five co-sanctioned events staged in Asia.
Brown had secured his maiden tour title just over a week ago in the Sail Open, also in New Delhi and a new stop on the burgeoning Asian Tour.
But today's triumph carries much more prestige for the Wellingtonian, who will shift his game to the northern hemisphere once he has time to gather his thoughts and plot a schedule, while also cherry picking preferred Asian tournaments.
He became just the sixth New Zealander to win a European Tour title, following in the sprig marks of some of this country's finest in Sir Bob Charles, Simon Owen, Frank Nobilo, Greg Turner and Michael Campbell.
Not that Brown, 33, considers himself as anything out of the ordinary.
"If I can do it anyone can because I don't think I'm anything special," he said.
They are humble words from a man who has learned humility the hard way and knows the virtue of honest, hard graft.
Poor form and little meaningful progress in eight frustrating years prompted Brown to walk away from the pro circuit as recently as 2003.
"I was just crap. Mentally, and with my short game, I was just not there," said Brown, now in Kuala Lumpur to prepare for the US$2m Malaysian Open starting on Thursday.
"In hindsight, what happened to me in those years was a huge learning curve. Maybe more professional sportspeople should have to go through it."
He re-emerged in late 2006 with the encouragement of a small support group featuring his mother Anne, partner Helen Quirke and long-time coach Mal Tongue.
"Having the confidence of other people has been huge. That sort of thing should never be under-estimated."
The transformation has been remarkable, with Brown putting it down simply to the fact he has finally matured.
He showed that quality in New Delhi despite finding himself four strokes behind third-round leader Kiyota after nine holes.
While the Japanese player wilted as the pressure mounted Brown was in his element, a series of accurate iron shots setting up four successive birdies from the 12th hole before he grabbed another at the par-five 18th for good measure.
The last birdie was a fluke, though, after raised adrenaline levels helped Brown monster his drive down the narrow fairway.
He was in a prime spot to attack the flag, but he struck a six iron so poorly he was sure the ball would end up in a lake fronting the green.
Somehow the ball stayed dry, hit the bank and rolled 21 feet from the hole, leaving a simple two-putt for birdie.
"I hit such a rank shot. I don't know where it came from - it was probably nerves. It was such a rank shot and it deserved to go in the water. I was certainly looking for a splash."
There was a splash, but one caused by Brown himself as he took his career to a new level.
The past fortnight has brought a smile to the face of Tongue, who has championed Brown's cause ever since they began working together in 1991.
The rewards have taken some time to arrive but Tongue is confident more await his charge.
"He is now just so much better than he was but he can still improve so much more yet. He's nowhere near where he could get to," Tongue said.
"He's got so much more improving to do. It's fantastic because that is the exciting bit."
- NZPA
