Robin Rambo Singh edged out Kevin Delaney to claim his maiden G4D Tour title at the inaugural Net tournament in Ras Al Khaimah.
The South African birdied two of the final three holes in a two-over-par 74 to finish seven over, one shot ahead of Canadian Delaney while Italian Riccardo Bianciardi was a shot further back on nine over.
Victory capped a brilliant fightback from Singh, who was nine over through his opening eight holes of Monday’s first round, before a run of back-nine birdies left him one adrift of the halfway lead.
He took that momentum into the final day as he birdied two of his opening three holes on Tuesday, before he dropped three shots over his next five holes.
After cancelling out a birdie at the tenth with a bogey at the 11th, the 66-year-old above-the-knee amputee responded well to a double bogey at the par-five 14th as he birdied the 16th and 18th either side of a dropped shot to seal a memorable victory.
“It feels great,” said Singh. “Awesome. When the first round started, I was playing the front nine terribly and was about to throw the towel in.
“Scott Bennett (from EDGA) said to me “don’t give up”. Seriously, I was really about to give up. He told me to go for it and he knew I could do it.”
The tournament saw an entire new field of ten players compete in the United Arab Emirates marked another milestone in the G4D Tour’s drive to promote inclusivity.
"I had an accident in 1991 and had the amputation done in 1992, and I never looked back," Singh added. I accepted it. That’s life.
"If you’re confident in what you’re doing, nothing is going to stop you. The G4D Tour, EDGA and the DP World Tour are doing a fantastic job and I know they will get a lot more players and tournaments in the years to come.
“I’ve got to thank the G4D Tour, DP World Tour, EDGA and Al Hamra Golf Club.
“The condition was beautiful. It was a good layout, a challenging layout, but all players who played this week must have enjoyed it. We’re looking forward to more of these.
Delaney, the top ranked player in the field at fifth on the net division of the World Ranking for Golfers with a Disability, mixed two birdies with three bogeys in his final-day 74.
Bianciardi, who was seeking to emulate Tommaso Perrino as the second Italian to win on the G4D Tour, saw his chances fade with back-to-back double bogeys at the 15th and 16th in a 76.
Michelle Lau, the first player to compete on the G4D Tour with autism, made five birdies in a row to lead the way at the turn before she struggled on the back nine to finish solo fourth.
The G4D Tour will return next month when it makes its first visit to Africa as Kenya plays host from February 19-20.
