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St Omer - Simon Thornton of Ireland beat Tjaart van der Walt on Sunday on the first hole of a playoff at the Najeti Hotels Open to win his first European Tour title.
Both shot 1-under 70s in the final round, parring the last six holes to finish at 5-under 279. In the playoff, Van der Walt of South Africa bogeyed No 18 while Thornton made a short par putt to clinch the victory.
Seve Benson of England carded 70 to finish third, one stroke back. Englishman Robert Dinwiddie was fourth after shooting 70 for an overall 282 - one stroke clear of compatriot Chris Lloyd and Sweden's Pelle Edberg.
Thornton was joint 11th at this tournament last year. His only other top 10 finish on the European Tour was ninth at the BMW International Open in Munich three years ago.
Thornton, Van der Walt and Frenchman Baptiste Chapellan went into the final round with a share of the lead. But Chapellan fell out of contention by making six bogeys for a 77.
Van der Walt and Thornton swapped the lead on the front nine before Benson joined the hunt for the title on the back nine.
Thornton birdied the 10th to move one stroke clear of Van der Walt. But Van der Walt rallied by picking up a shot on the 12th.
Benson hit two straight birdies to draw level atop the leaderboard but faded when he bogeyed the 16th.
Leading fourth round scores at the St Omer Open on Sunday (GBR & IRL unless stated, par 71):
279 - Simon Thornton (Ireland) 74 70 65 70, Tjaart van der Walt (South Africa) 67 71 71 70
(Simon Thornton won play-off at the first extra hole)
280 - Seve Benson (Britain) 75 65 70 70
282 - Robert Dinwiddie (Britain) 72 66 74 70
283 - Pelle Edberg (Sweden) 74 69 69 71, Chris Lloyd (Britain) 73 68 70 72
284 - Jeppe Huldahl (Denmark) 73 67 73 71, Agustin Domingo (Spain) 74 71 68 71, Victor Riu (France) 68 71 72 73
285 - Gary Orr (Britain) 73 71 74 67, Daniel Gaunt (Australia) 70 70 75 70, Brooks Koepka (US) 75 70 68 72, Jamie Elson (Britain) 75 69 68 73, Max Glauert (Germany) 77 65 69 74
286 - Kim Si-Hwan (South Korea) 73 71 73 69, Daniel Vancsik (Argentina) 73 67 75 71, Scott Henry (Britain) 72 69 74 71, Francois Calmels (France) 73 71 71 71, Gareth Shaw (Britain) 76 69 70 71, Mikael Lundberg (Sweden) 73 71 71 71, Baptiste Chapellan (France) 72 68 69 77
287 - Thomas Norret (Denmark) 75 69 74 69, Daniel Brooks (Britain) 69 71 76 71, Justin Walters (South Africa) 71 69 75 72, Rhys Davies (Britain) 77 67 71 72, Alexandre Kaleka (France) 73 71 71 72, Andrea Pavan (Italy) 74 70 70 73
288 - Christophe Brazillier (France) 75 70 73 70, Anthony Snobeck (France) 76 69 72 71
289 - Roope Kakko (Finland) 72 71 77 69 , Luke Goddard (Britain) 75 67 76 71, Simon Wakefield (Britain) 71 68 77 73
290 - Paul Dwyer (Britain) 73 70 78 69, Gary Stal (France) 75 68 76 71, Alessandro Tadini (Italy) 73 71 75 71, Gary Boyd (Britain) 76 68 75 71, Charles-Edouard Russo (France) 73 72 73 72, Jose-Filipe Lima (Portugal) 74 71 72 73, Richard McEvoy (Britain) 71 71 74 74, Tyrrell Hatton (Britain) 75 67 74 74, Michael Jonzon (Sweden) 74 70 70 76
291 - Sam Little (Britain) 74 70 78 69, Taco Remkes (Netherlands) 75 70 76 70, Jamie McLeary (Britain) 75 70 76 70, Mathieu Decottignies Lafon (France) 75 69 75 72, Andrew Marshall (Britain) 74 68 76 73, Chris Hanson (Britain) 71 68 77 75, Daniel Im (US) 73 72 69 77
292 - Jordi Garcia Pinto (Spain) 73 68 78 73, Alastair Forsyth (Britain) 73 70 76 73, Florian Praegant (Austria) 73 70 75 74, Mikko Korhonen (Finland) 74 70 74 74, Jerome Lando-Casanova (France) 73 72 72 75
293 - Garry Houston (Britain) 74 70 76 73, Jens Dantorp (Sweden) 73 70 76 74, Damien Perrier (France) 77 66 76 74
294 - Benjamin Hebert (France) 74 68 77 75, Ake Nilsson (Sweden) 71 74 73 76, Edouard Dubois (France) 71 74 71 78
295 - Marco Crespi (Italy) 75 68 82 70, Carl Suneson (Spain) 72 71 75 77
296 - Tom Murray (Britain) 75 70 78 73, Thomas Fournier (France) 71 71 79 75, Terry Pilkadaris (Australia) 71 72 76 77
297 - Paul Maddy (Britain) 72 72 78 75, Raul Quiros (Spain) 75 70 76 76
298 - Oscar Floren (Sweden) 72 71 77 78
303 - Lionel Weber (France) 75 70 80 78
Both shot 1-under 70s in the final round, parring the last six holes to finish at 5-under 279. In the playoff, Van der Walt of South Africa bogeyed No 18 while Thornton made a short par putt to clinch the victory.
Seve Benson of England carded 70 to finish third, one stroke back. Englishman Robert Dinwiddie was fourth after shooting 70 for an overall 282 - one stroke clear of compatriot Chris Lloyd and Sweden's Pelle Edberg.
Thornton was joint 11th at this tournament last year. His only other top 10 finish on the European Tour was ninth at the BMW International Open in Munich three years ago.
Thornton, Van der Walt and Frenchman Baptiste Chapellan went into the final round with a share of the lead. But Chapellan fell out of contention by making six bogeys for a 77.
Van der Walt and Thornton swapped the lead on the front nine before Benson joined the hunt for the title on the back nine.
Thornton birdied the 10th to move one stroke clear of Van der Walt. But Van der Walt rallied by picking up a shot on the 12th.
Benson hit two straight birdies to draw level atop the leaderboard but faded when he bogeyed the 16th.
Leading fourth round scores at the St Omer Open on Sunday (GBR & IRL unless stated, par 71):
279 - Simon Thornton (Ireland) 74 70 65 70, Tjaart van der Walt (South Africa) 67 71 71 70
(Simon Thornton won play-off at the first extra hole)
280 - Seve Benson (Britain) 75 65 70 70
282 - Robert Dinwiddie (Britain) 72 66 74 70
283 - Pelle Edberg (Sweden) 74 69 69 71, Chris Lloyd (Britain) 73 68 70 72
284 - Jeppe Huldahl (Denmark) 73 67 73 71, Agustin Domingo (Spain) 74 71 68 71, Victor Riu (France) 68 71 72 73
285 - Gary Orr (Britain) 73 71 74 67, Daniel Gaunt (Australia) 70 70 75 70, Brooks Koepka (US) 75 70 68 72, Jamie Elson (Britain) 75 69 68 73, Max Glauert (Germany) 77 65 69 74
286 - Kim Si-Hwan (South Korea) 73 71 73 69, Daniel Vancsik (Argentina) 73 67 75 71, Scott Henry (Britain) 72 69 74 71, Francois Calmels (France) 73 71 71 71, Gareth Shaw (Britain) 76 69 70 71, Mikael Lundberg (Sweden) 73 71 71 71, Baptiste Chapellan (France) 72 68 69 77
287 - Thomas Norret (Denmark) 75 69 74 69, Daniel Brooks (Britain) 69 71 76 71, Justin Walters (South Africa) 71 69 75 72, Rhys Davies (Britain) 77 67 71 72, Alexandre Kaleka (France) 73 71 71 72, Andrea Pavan (Italy) 74 70 70 73
288 - Christophe Brazillier (France) 75 70 73 70, Anthony Snobeck (France) 76 69 72 71
289 - Roope Kakko (Finland) 72 71 77 69 , Luke Goddard (Britain) 75 67 76 71, Simon Wakefield (Britain) 71 68 77 73
290 - Paul Dwyer (Britain) 73 70 78 69, Gary Stal (France) 75 68 76 71, Alessandro Tadini (Italy) 73 71 75 71, Gary Boyd (Britain) 76 68 75 71, Charles-Edouard Russo (France) 73 72 73 72, Jose-Filipe Lima (Portugal) 74 71 72 73, Richard McEvoy (Britain) 71 71 74 74, Tyrrell Hatton (Britain) 75 67 74 74, Michael Jonzon (Sweden) 74 70 70 76
291 - Sam Little (Britain) 74 70 78 69, Taco Remkes (Netherlands) 75 70 76 70, Jamie McLeary (Britain) 75 70 76 70, Mathieu Decottignies Lafon (France) 75 69 75 72, Andrew Marshall (Britain) 74 68 76 73, Chris Hanson (Britain) 71 68 77 75, Daniel Im (US) 73 72 69 77
292 - Jordi Garcia Pinto (Spain) 73 68 78 73, Alastair Forsyth (Britain) 73 70 76 73, Florian Praegant (Austria) 73 70 75 74, Mikko Korhonen (Finland) 74 70 74 74, Jerome Lando-Casanova (France) 73 72 72 75
293 - Garry Houston (Britain) 74 70 76 73, Jens Dantorp (Sweden) 73 70 76 74, Damien Perrier (France) 77 66 76 74
294 - Benjamin Hebert (France) 74 68 77 75, Ake Nilsson (Sweden) 71 74 73 76, Edouard Dubois (France) 71 74 71 78
295 - Marco Crespi (Italy) 75 68 82 70, Carl Suneson (Spain) 72 71 75 77
296 - Tom Murray (Britain) 75 70 78 73, Thomas Fournier (France) 71 71 79 75, Terry Pilkadaris (Australia) 71 72 76 77
297 - Paul Maddy (Britain) 72 72 78 75, Raul Quiros (Spain) 75 70 76 76
298 - Oscar Floren (Sweden) 72 71 77 78
303 - Lionel Weber (France) 75 70 80 78
