Australia’s Nathan Holman secured a career-changing victory at the Australian PGA Championship, defeating South African Dylan Frittelli and American Harold Varner III at the first extra hole of a sudden-death play-off to lift the prestigious Joe Kirkwood Cup and secure full playing rights on The European Tour as well as entry to The 2016 Open Championship.

Holman double bogeyed his first hole of the day, then recovered with three birdies before almost throwing his chance of victory away with back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th of the RACV Royal Pines Resort to card a final round 73 and fall back to level par for the tournament.

He had posted the clubhouse lead, but with Varner III and Frittelli still on the course, it looked like Holman could have given up the victory. But neither Varner nor Frittelli, who had started the day as joint leaders in the final match, could find a finishing birdie, leaving the door open for Holman to charge to glory with a par at the first extra hole in front of an ecstatic home crowd on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Holman’s first professional win secured him 225,000 Race to Dubai points to move him to second place in the early Race, one spot behind South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel after two events of the 2016 season.

As well as becoming a full Member of The European Tour and guaranteeing entry to some of the biggest tournaments on the global stage, Holman’s victory helped him win the Australian PGA’s Order of Merit for 2015, and with it a place in The 2016 Open at Royal Troon as well as entry to World Golf Championship events in the USA and China.