NSW's Austin Bautista has turned a six-shot overnight lead into a seven-shot victory in the NT PGA Championship.
Austin Bautista has held his nerve to break through for a maiden Australasian Tour victory with a commanding seven-stroke triumph in the season-ending NT PGA Championship.
The 25-year-old New South Welshman started the final day with a six-shot lead and managed to extend it as he shot a closing two-under 69 and won at 20-under 264 at Palmerston Golf and Country Club.
Queenslander Tim Hart (67) and Victoria's Ben Wharton (68) tied for a distant second place, one shot clear of defending champion Aaron Pike who battled to a 71 in the final group alongside Bautista.
Bautista steadied his nerves with birdies at the opening two holes but followed with two bogeys and Wharton had cut his lead to four at the turn.
That's as close as the chasers got though, as three consecutive birdies from the 15th allowed him to seal his comprehensive victory in style.
"This is my first major win so I'm ecstatic to have this one..." Bautista said.
"When I saw that putt go in on 15 the doors opened up and then I made another and then another.
"Just really happy to get the win and looking forward to the future and getting a bunch more."
Bautista set up his victory with a course-record 61 in the second round on Friday.
A former top amateur, Bautista quit golf for two years from 2018 to volunteer with humanitarian aid organisations overseas before rehoning his game on the mini tours in the US.
Boasting three top-three finishes already this season, the $27,000 winner's cheque pushes Bautista inside the top-10 on the tour's final Order of Merit (OOM) which will open doors to qualifying schools on major world tours later in the year.
With significant OOM implications at stake, Pike played the back nine in two-under, including a crucial birdie putt at the final hole that saw him snare outright fourth and elevated him to fifth on the OOM, earning an exemption into Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school.
The battle for the third and final DP World Tour card also went down to the wire, Andrew Dodt holding on to the OOM third spot, shooting one-over 72 on Sunday to finish two shots ahead of Dimi Papadatos in fourth spot.
