Martin Couvra continued his impressive start to life on the DP World Tour with a maiden victory at the Turkish Airlines Open.
The 22-year-old graduated from the HotelPlanner Tour last season and had already posted four top-10 finishes this term, including fifth place at the Hainan Classic last time out.
A brilliant closing 64 saw him claim victory at Regnum Carya with a 17-under-par total, two shots ahead of China’s Haitong Li and Spain’s Jorge Campillo.
South Africa’s Robin Williams shared seventh on 11 under after carding 71.
Couvra had led at the halfway stage but a third-round 72 left him four shots off the pace going into the final round.
A blistering start which included four birdies over the first six holes soon propelled Couvra back into contention, and he found himself battling Li at the top of the leaderboard when overnight leader Brandon Robinson-Thompson bogeyed the 6th.
Li also started well with three birdies in his first five holes and looked on course for a fifth DP World Tour title when he hit a fine approach to four feet at the 9th and converted to turn in 30.
A slight wobble around the turn saw Couvra drop shots at the 8th and 10th, either side of a birdie from five feet at the 9th.
A hat-trick of gains from the 11th, thanks largely to some excellent approach play, saw Couvra surge back into contention and Li followed a gain at the 12th with a bogey at the next after hitting a tree with his second.
Up ahead Couvra was in the process of birdieing the 14th to go two shots clear and the 29-year-old Li was unable to make the birdies required over the closing stretch to force a playoff.
Five birdies in eight holes from the eighth saw Campillo make a late surge through the field, but his hopes of victory ended when he left his birdie effort on the 17th agonisingly short.
Robinson-Thompson finished fourth on 13 under after a 72, with Joost Luiten and Matthew Southgate a shot further back in a tie for fifth.
“It was amazing to win on my first year on the DP World Tour – it’s just a dream,” said Couvra. “I wake up in the morning to win some tournaments and to win early [in my DP World Tour career] is fantastic so really happy about that.
“Naturally it was really difficult to keep calm and in good shape to close out this round but I was really happy with all of the discussions with my caddie today, it was just amazing.
“I think tonight is going to be fun with all of the French players!”
– Edited report from DP World Tour website
Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
