The rewards are finally coming in for reborn New Zealand golfer Mark Brown, who has won his first career title in India.
Brown yesterday emerged a deceptively comfortable four-shot winner of the US$400,000 ($496,280) Sail Open, a new addition to the burgeoning Asian Tour.
It earned him US$63,400and propelled him from 22nd to third on the Asian order of merit with tournament income of US$128,090, behind Indians SSP Chowrasia and Jeev Milkha Singh.
More significantly - in the context of a career which stalled when Brown, 33, walked away from the game for three years before launching a comeback in late 2006 - victory in New Delhi gained him a full exemption on the Asian circuit until the end of 2010.
Brown carried good form in his luggage to India after sharing fifth place in the European co-sanctioned Indonesian Open this month.
He maintained his standards with a four-round card of 14-under 274 following rounds of 69, 69, 67, and 69.
That left him four strokes ahead of a trio containing Australian Scott Hend, India's Jyoti Randhawa, and Korea's Noh seung-yul.
Another New Zealander, Richard Lee, finished in a five-way share of 17th place on 284 when he closed his account with a 74.
Brown began the fourth round with a one-shot buffer over Hend which he immediately doubled by pocketing a birdie at the first.
But just one shot again separated the pair and there was no room for error when they strolled towards the 18th tee more than four hours later.
When he needed it most Brown's composure shone as he sunk a 10-foot birdie putt while Hend found water off the tee en route to a double bogey.
Given the troughs he has experienced Brown was an emotional figure at the awards ceremony.
"I was remembering my father [Jim], who passed away four years ago. I wish he were here to see me win."
- NZPA
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