Adopted Aussie Nicolas Colsaerts – his wife Rachel is Australian – won his first tournament in seven years, the Belgian squandering a five-shot lead before fighting back to overturn a two-shot deficit to South African George Coetzee to win by a stroke.

Herbert too had cause to celebrate as on the back of a scintillating third round of 6-under 65 he posted a 1-under 70 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 14th and make an important move in the Race to Dubai standings.

With just one full-field event remaining before the finals series where the top 110 players qualify and retain their cards for next year, Herbert is projected to rise from a tightrope-walking position of 106th to 98th heading into the Portugal Masters.

Runner-up in the same tournament a year ago, Herbert’s buffer will help to ease some of the pressure but the 23-year-old will no doubt be eager to carry forward the momentum he has generated late in the season.

With just one top-30 finish in a period of 12 starts midway through the season Herbert was in serious danger of losing his card for 2020 but kick-started by a tie for eighth at the Omega European Masters has finished inside the top 35 in four of his past six starts.

Tied for 15th entering the final round, Herbert hit an early speed bump when he bogeyed the par-3 second but relied on his short game to make six of seven par saves and needed just 27 putts as he made 14 pars and birdies at six and 13 to end the day in red figures.

The co-leader after the opening round courtesy of a 6-under 65, Kiwi Ryan Fox played the weekend in even par to fall back into a tie for 18th while West Australian Jason Scrivener delivered another consistent week to finished tied for 26th.

With one event left Scott Hend (52nd), Fox (57th), Scrivener (60th), Wade Ormsby (76th) and Herbert (98th) look to be safely through to the finals series, at 110th in the standings Min Woo Lee needs to at least make the cut in Portugal while nothing short of a win will be enough for Jake McLeod (159th), Sam Brazel (163rd), Dimi Papadatos (169th), Deyen Lawson (186th) and Nick Cullen (202nd).

European Tour
Amundi Open de France
Le Golf National, Paris, France
T14        Lucas Herbert     71-73-65-70—279            €24,000
T18        Ryan Fox              65-74-71-71—281            €19,264
T26        Jason Scrivener  69-73-71-70—283            €15,680
T40        Deyen Lawson    68-72-72-74—286            €9,280
71           Jake McLeod      73-69-73-79—294            €2,930
MC         Sam Brazel          73-73—146
MC         Nick Cullen          72-75—147