Kurt Kitayama finished strongly to claim his second European Tour title at the Oman Open on Sunday.
Katayama was crowned Mauritius Open champion in December and the American came to the fore in Muscat to win by a solitary shot.
The world number 206 gained momentum after a poor start to his third round in the morning, signing for a one-under 71 in easier conditions in a tournament that had been disrupted by a sandstorm, high winds and bad light this week.
Katayama then carded a 70 to finish seven under, a shot clear of Jorge Campillo, Clement Sordet, Fabrizio Zanotti and Maximilian Kieffer at Al Mouj Golf.
The composed Californian hit the turn on 35 after a couple of birdies and just one bogey, going on to make decisive back-to-back gains at the 16th and 17th to take the honours following a dropped shot at 11.
Kurt Kitayama is the 2019 #OmanOpen Champion! pic.twitter.com/lwE9hq6yC3
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 3, 2019
Kieffer, the overnight leader by the slenderest of margins, missed out on a maiden European Tour title after bogeying the penultimate hole to post a 72 following a third round of 71.
Zanotti squandered his opportunity to take the title by finishing with a two-over 74, three double bogeys costing the Paraguayan after a promising third round of 68.
Campillo following up a stunning penultimate round of 66 with a closing 69 to take a share of second spot, while back-to-back 70s were in vain for Sordet.
Peter Hanson, Thomas Pieters and Joachim B. Hansen were a further shot back on five under, while Scott Jamieson faltered after hitting the front on the final day, the Scot finishing back on four under following a fourth round of 75.
