Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon stormed into the field with a record-breaking 64 to win the Legends Open de France by two shots.
Starting the final round four times off the lead, Hutcheon made nine birdies on his way to the best round of the week and a total of -13 was enough to outscore overnight leader Simon Khan and Scott Hend, who finished tied for second on 11. .
It was a birdie-fest on the La Forêt course in Le Touquet, especially on the back nine, and as many as 15 players had a real chance of winning as a dramatic final round unfolded in northern France.
Hutcheon got off to a good start with birdies on the 1st and 3rd. He dropped a shot at the par-5 5th but pulled back to go straight back with two birdies at the 6th. He put himself in contention with a flurry of four birdies in a row from the 9th to take a share of the lead.
Three pars followed before he broke through with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17. He holed a birdie from 20 feet on the final hole, but his superb 64 put the clubhouse target on 13.
Khan, Hend and Robert Coles had a chance to catch him, but couldn’t get enough late birdies to force a playoff.
“I’m very happy,” said the three-time Challenge Tour winner. “It’s a lesson in patience and just fighting through a few injuries and stuff. So, I think determination is what got me here.”
Hutcheon finished eighth at MCB Road to Mauritius in his debut season last year, and his first win on the circuit took the 51-year-old up to seventh in this year’s standings.
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