European champion Colin Montgomerie capitalised on dramatic late collapse by James Kingston to win the co-sanctioned UBS Hong Kong Open by a single stroke on Sunday.
Kingston led for most of the final round but three-putted on 16 before crashing to a double-bogey on the final hole in an agonising meltdown in front of a packed gallery.
The South African was one ahead at nine under par and needing only to par the 18th but buried his tee shot behind a tree, left his approach short of the green and took two putts.
Eight-time European Order of Merit winner Montgomerie finished with rounds of 69, 66, 66 and 70 at the par-70 Hong Kong Golf Club to take the 200,000-dollar cheque with a nine-under-par total of 271.
Kingston, who was joint leader before bogeying the same hole here in 2004, finished joint second for the second year running along with Thammanoon Srirot, Edward Loar, Lin Keng-chi and K.J. Choi at eight-under 272.
Montgomerie, starting the day two back, picked up a shot at the par-four 10th only to drop one coming out of a bunker on the next.
The Scot was kicking himself after missing a four-foot putt to draw level on the 13th hole but birdied the next to keep his hopes alive.
Kingston, who had played rock-solid golf throughout, birdied three and 15 but three-putted 16 to stay just a shot ahead at 10-under. But the tournament was still in his hands before nerves set in on the final tee.
Kingston carded rounds of 68, 69, 64 and 71.
Overnight leader Simon Yates also came down from the high of his course-record 61 with a nightmare round, double-bogeying the first before coming apart at the seams on the par-four 15th.
The former downhill skier took three to get out of a ditch and through some trees before pitching over the green to take triple-bogey. He finished 10th at six-under par 274.
The 1.2-million-dollar tournament was joint-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours.
LEADING FINAL-ROUND SCORES:
271 - Colin Montgomerie (SCO) 69-66-66-70
272 - Lin Keng-chi (TPE) 68-69-66-69, K.J. Choi (KOR) 67-72-64-69, Thammanoon Srirot (THA) 71-67-66-68, James Kingston (RSA) 68-69-64-71, Edward Loar (USA) 68-64-71-69
273 - Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 68-68-67-70, Damien McGrane (IRL) 68-71-63-71, Kang Wook-soon (KOR) 64-70-68-71
274 - Simon Yates (SCO) 69-69-61-75
275 - Martin Erlandsson (SWE) 65-68-68-74, Peter Gustafsson (SWE) 69-69-67-70, Rick Gibson (CAN) 65-66-71-73
276 - Andrew Butterfield (ENG) 69-65-69-73, Maarten Lafeber (NED) 72-68-63-73, Ted Oh (KOR) 72-67-67-70, Richard Bland (ENG) 70-68-67-71
277 - Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 69-69-66-73, Scott Barr (AUS) 67-72-67-71, Jose Manuel Lara (ESP) 67-70-69-71, Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 66-69-70-72
SELECTED:
278 - Liang Wen-chong (CHN) 72-69-66-71, Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 70-68-72-68
281 - Jean van de Velde (FRA) 70-70-69-72, Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 69-67-71-74
283 - Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 69-68-69-77.
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