Anthony Wall beat Alex Noren in the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play final to win his second European Tour title a record 16 years and 204 days after his maiden victory.
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But Noren failed to take advantage of that approach shot, leaving himself a tricky birdie putt from 15 feet that he could not convert to hand a delighted Wall only the second title of his career.
Wall chipped in for an eagle on the home hole to seal the match with South Africa’s Porteous, before coming through a tough encounter with Fisher on the 22nd hole.
Wall, ranked No. 234, won Nos.
The experienced Englishman has not picked up a win on the European Tour since the 2000 Alfred Dunhill Championship while his Swedish opponent is looking to complete a Scottish double.
But the 41-year-old immediately reduced the deficit at the third and the pair were all-square before the turn.
The Swede defeated his compatriot Johan Carlsson 4&2 in the morning’s quarter-finals of the Paul Lawrie Match Play before seeing off England’s James Morrison 3&2 in the afternoon.
“Obviously sorry for Oli, because it was a good game and someone had to lose”, Wall said in the aftermath. “It was a good game”.
And Wall then got in front for the first time at the 11th after Noren found a bunker from the tee.
Noren carded birdies on each of the opening three holes against Morrison, while claiming another birdie at the seventh to move into a four-up lead.
“It feels wonderful. I’ve never even been close in a match play event before, and it’s pretty hard mentally these matches, but I like it”, he told the European Tour website.
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While Noren and Wall face off for the main prize Sunday Morrison and Fisher will play off for third and fourth over the Archerfield links.
