England’s Greg Owen made a clutch birdie on the 18th hole at Constance Belle Mare Plage to pip Jeev Milkha Singh and Darren Fichardt to the MCB Mauritius Legends title by one stroke.
Owen was in control of the tournament when he made the ninth birdie of his final round to get to 20 under par after 14 holes, but double-bogeyed the 15th with a four-putt and dropped a further shot on the 17th.
Those errors combined with Milkha Singh’s birdie on the 18th meant Owen needed no worse than a four down the par-five closing hole to clinch his maiden Legends Tour title in the circuit’s 2025 season finale.
The 53-year-old from Mansfield hit a perfect drive but was being made to wait to play his second by playing partner Craig Farrelly’s travails among the volcanic rocks on the right.
Owen, who enjoyed a fine career on the PGA Tour, called over to the rookie that he would play first and drilled a long iron to the middle of the green.
It gave him a chance of an eagle and made birdie almost certain – but the drama was not over, because Fichardt could still tie with him if he could roll in his eagle putt.
The South African arrowed an iron shot to within 10ft but his eagle putt burned the edge of the hole, meaning Owen had two putts for the win.
He made no mistake, tapping in for a closing birdie that gave him a seven-under-par closing 65 to follow his opening 65 and second-round 68 for an 18-under aggregate for the week.
That was one better than Fichardt – who compiled matching halves of 33 for his six-under 66 on a sweltering Sunday in Mauritius – and Milkha Singh, the first Indian to win on the DP World Tour.
Owen – who agonisingly missed out on winning the PGA Tour’s 2006 Bay Hill Invitational when he took three putts from three feet on the 17th hole – began the day with four consecutive birdies.
Five more followed between the 6th and 14th as he looked set to cruise to victory – before his putting aberration on the 15th and bogey on 17.
“For 16 holes it was probably the best I’ve ever played,” said Owen. “I’m just glad I didn’t need to hole that last one.
“My kids don’t really like golf but I hope they’re proud. It’s been a tough year but this is nice and I want to win more.
“I didn’t get over the line with a PGA Tour win so this helps and I can at least feel like it’s worth all the hard work coming back from injury and divorce.”
Peter Baker picked up four shots in the final six holes of the back nine to raise the prospect of a hat-trick of victories in the event but recorded back-to-back bogeys to derail his hopes and he finished fourth.
Michael Campbell completed a sensational weekend by shooting a seven-under-par 65 following his Saturday 66.
The 2005 US Open champion’s sparkling weekend took him to a tie for fifth alongside Stephen Gallacher of Scotland – who made six birdies but also two bogeys in his 68 – England’s Andrew Marshall and Farrelly.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who holed the winning putt in the 2014 Ryder Cup, bounced back from his disappointing one-over second round with a fine six-under 66.
