New Zealand's Josh Geary battled to a final round six-over 78 in the very testing conditions but still won the Vic Open title at the Beach Golf Links by four shots.
It was Geary's first PGA Tour of Australasia title in almost 12 years and takes away A$36,000 prizemoney after rounds of 64, 64, 68 and 78 to finish the tournament at 13-under.
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WA's Connor McKinney carded a two-under 70 earlier in the day - the equal-best on Sunday saw him rocket up the leaderboard to second.
An improved performance from New Zealand's Kerry Mountcastle with a 70 saw him up to third equal, alongside compatriot Michael Hendry, and more than A$10,700 in winnings.
Geary admitted it was tough to win.
“It's the hardest round of golf I've had to play,” the new champion said. “It's hard enough trying to close out a tournament, let alone in those conditions which meant literally you can make any score from anywhere.
“If you’d asked me if I shot 78 tomorrow and still have a four-shot margin, I’d tell you you're dreaming, but that's just how hard it was.
“I'm super happy, obviously, and stoked to get it done.”
It was always going to be extremely difficult for Geary to match his near-faultless first 54 holes, with a double-bogey on his final hole of the Creek course on Friday his only dropped shots.
He bogeyed the first hole on Sunday, but was impressively under-par for the day after back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth.
It was at the par-four eighth where Geary’s round threatened to unravel – a penalty drop after a wayward approach shot into the greenside bush and three putts leading to a triple-bogey.
But a bounce back birdie on No 9 ensured he would take a five-shot lead into the back nine on Sunday.
As all his potential challengers fell away, the 2013 WA Open champion only had to avoid a catastrophe. Five bogeys on the way to the clubhouse didn’t create too many concerns.
“Even when you got downwind, you couldn't hold the greens. You’d have a sand wedge and 180 metres and it's going through the back of the green,” Geary said.
“I was just trying to keep it out of the real trouble.”
The next PGA Tour of Australasia tournament is the Players Series Sydney event, starting next week.
Meanwhile, New Zealand golfer Steven Alker has been beaten for the title at the Trophy Hassan II tournament on the PGA Tour Champions circuit in Rabat, Morocco.
Alker, who carded a two-under 71 featuring four birdies and two bogeys on Saturday (Sunday NZ Time) to finish at nine-under, was edged by Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez by two shots.
The pair were level on the 17th hole at nine-under when Jimenez drove the green and converted for an eagle. Alker could only manage a par, which was the deciding margin.
On the DP World Tour, Kiwi Daniel Hillier was tied for 18th after the third round at the Qatar Masters on Saturday (Sunday NZT).
Hillier fired a second straight two-under 70 at the Doha Golf Club, featuring five birdies and three bogeys, to sit at five-under overall, eight strokes behind the leader, China's Li Haotong.
Fellow Kiwi Kazuma Kobori missed the weekend cut by one shot after rounds of one-over 73 and one-under 71.
At the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open, New Zealand No 1 Ryan Fox was tied for 52nd following the third round on Saturday (Sunday NZT).
With two birdies and two bogeys, Fox managed an even-par 71 at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course to remain at two-under, 16 strokes adrift of the runaway leader, Belgian Thomas Detry.
Kiwi veteran Lydia Ko and rookie Fiona Xu are both tied for 49th at one-under after the third round of the LPGA's Founders Cup tournament in Bradenton, Florida.
Ko had four birdies and three bogeys in a one-under 70 on Saturday (Sunday NZT), while Xu, in her first LPGA tournament, managed two birdies and two bogeys in an even-par 71, to trail the leader, American Yealimi Noh, by 17 strokes.
Two New Zealand golfers finished in the top-15 at the Women's Vic Open, with another in the top-35.
Hanee Song moved up 16 places into solo 14th at seven-over with a two-over 74 in the final round on Sunday, while Wenyung Keh moved up seven spots to a share of 15th at eight-over, following a five-over 77. Siyi Keh ended 34th at 17-over after a 12-over 84.
On the Ladies European Tour, Momoka Kobori missed the cut after the second round at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco by one shot, finishing tied for 65th at four-over after rounds of six-over 79 and two-under 71.