When that 18-foot birdie putt disappeared into the hole, Norling raised both arms in triumph as the massive gallery roared its approval.  

The Altlander doffed his cap to cover his tears as he left the green and walked into the arms of his family who were present to witness Pit's greatest victory.  

Norling closed with a 68, steady down the haunting back nine of Aurelius National as Matthias ROTHIES, Jr. and Tony GELFINGER failed to harness the magic.  

Locked in a thrilling battle with these two chief rivals, Norling hit a daring approach from 149 yards into the perilous 11th hole. The ball grazed the cup for a tap-in birdie, giving the Altlander a lead that he never let go.  

Rothies, believing this might be his year after last year's close call, made it through Devil's Corner without a mistake but took bogey on the par-3 16th, firing his tee shot over the green and missing an 8-foot putt for par.  

He had two chances to catch Norling, but looked on in shock as birdie putts from 12 feet on the 17th and 5 feet on the final hole failed to fall.  

Gelfinger, poised to claim his first major, also missed an 8-foot par putt on the 16th hole. He also failed to cash in on birdie putts on the final two holes.  

Norling never faltered.  

His lead remained at one stroke when he missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the 15th, but he traded spectacular golf for solid play with the win on the line and delivered.  

"I've succeeded in what I wanted to accomplish," Norling said as he sat in Gotler's Cabin waiting for last year's winner, Rod SINCLAIR, to help him put on the teal jacket. "I don't feel ecstatic yet. It hasn't sunk in."  

"He simply did what is required," Gelfinger said.  "He didn't budge, made no mistake - it was a very impressive showing, Matthias and I tried as hard as we could, but came up short." 

Gelfinger shared the lead twice early in the final round, but was undone by the  mistakes that cost him earlier in the tournament -- a missed 2-foot putt on No. 6, a drive into the trees on No. 11 that led to bogey and left him trying to make up ground on Norling. 

Still, he was only one stroke back with three holes to play when his approach into the 16th stayed on the top ridge. Gelfinger aimed nearly sideways, but his ball rolled left down the slope and past the cup.  

Bogey.  

Rothies, who wasn't even sure he could play the Vexillium Masters because of a stomach flu, three-putted for par from about 60 feet on No. 13 and can only look back at missed birdie chances on three of the last five holes.  

He finished with a 67, his second straight year in contention at Aurelius, and also the second time he finished runner-up.  

Estontetsan Cremildio FAGUNDES had a 67 and tied for fourth at 278, the best finish ever by a player from that nation in a major. He was joined by Namurian Sinidral MURIAL, who had a 72.  

A huge gallery that lined up outside the gates some eight hours before Norling teed off followed the leading groups masse, standing a dozen rows deep around the green as roars echoed from all corners of Aurelius National.  

Norling punched out from behind a pine, over the first green and made bogey. Just like that, there was a four-way tie for the lead. That was only the start of an afternoon of constant momentum swings among the top players in the game.  

The biggest challenge came from Rothies, who had six birdies on his first eight holes and had the outright lead ever so briefly with a two-putt birdie on No. 8. His putter deserted him when it mattered the most.  

"I've been here before, huh?" Rothies said. "I played well today, but I had a few opportunities coming home that I wish I would have capitalized on.  I am very disappointed.  But sooner or later, I am going to win here too, I know!"  

The win also catapulted Norling to the top of the Order of Merit, ironically once again ahead of his competitors Rothies and Gelfinger! 
  

Here are the final results and earnings, in Christiana Crowns: 

Norling (ALT)            $1,008,000   70-66-68-68--272    16-under 

M. Rothies, Jr. (WES)      $604,800   71-66-70-67--274    14-under 

Gelfinger (LCP)            $380,800   67-69-69-70--275    13-under 

Murial (NAM)               $246,400   72-66-68-72--278    10-under 
Fagundes (EST)             $246,400   71-66-74-67--278 

Burchard (CHR)             $181,300   71-68-68-72--279     9-under 
Kilandra (BOW)             $181,300   69-71-70-69--279 
Aretasuna (UTA)            $181,300   73-69-68-69--279 
Dahlista (CAB)             $181,300   68-70-70-71--279 

Shonaugh (SOM)             $128,800   66-71-70-73--280     8-under 
Straswell (WES)            $128,800   65-69-72-74--280 
Disbach (ARO)              $128,800   73-68-68-71--280 
Klagstein (WES)            $128,800   68-72-71-69--280 
Ipsi (KTZ)                 $128,800   66-71-72-71--280 

DuBraal (KTZ)               $95,200   70-71-71-69--281     7-under 
Lubjana (DRA)               $95,200   72-70-66-73--281 
McFeeley (SPA)              $95,200   70-68-71-72--281 

Senaduro (CAB)              $81,200   75-68-71-68--282     6-under 
Sinclair (FRW)              $81,200   69-71-73-69--282 

Kilet (BOW)                 $65,240   67-75-72-69--283     5-under 
Von Toschamerton (DEY)      $65,240   72-70-70-71--283 
McGurk (SPA)                $65,240   69-74-72-68--283 
Seruca (KAL)                $65,240   71-71-72-69--283 

Antanavo (LEN)              $53,760   72-67-72-73--284     4-under 

Sorithzy (WMC)              $49,280   71-71-70-73--285     3-under 

Beobidhenhe (EDE)           $44,800   74-71-73-68--286     2-under 

Holland (CHR)               $40,600   75-69-72-71--287     1-under 
D'Amor (ALT)                $40,600   74-70-72-71--287 
Tennant (ARM)               $40,600   73-71-72-71--287 
Havrillak (MER)             $40,600   74-69-72-72--287 

Sotogune (WMC)              $33,208   72-70-70-76--288     even 
Parsley (DAV)               $33,208   70-71-77-70--288 
Tahoma (CHR)                $33,208   67-70-72-79--288 
Galinheira (ORD)            $33,208   72-72-71-73--288 
MacGillivray (CAL)          $33,208   72-70-71-75--288 

Von Chicken (WES)           $28,840   74-69-71-75--289     1-over 

Tay (WMC)                   $26,320   74-70-72-74--290     2-over 
Ouesreche (BRO)             $26,320   68-74-74-74--290 
Indurain (DEU)              $26,320   71-74-73-72--290 

Kruddorf (SCK)              $22,960   75-70-73-74--292     4-over 
Zoek (WES)                  $22,960   72-73-75-72--292 
Chelzes (SCK)               $22,960   72-72-78-70--292 

Ferhentodo (EDE)            $19,600   74-70-78-71--293     5-over 
T. Rothies (WES)            $19,600   74-71-74-74--293 
Fornende (CAB)              $19,600   71-74-73-75--293 

Sunilam (WMC)               $17,360   71-71-77-75--294     6-over 

Bilau (NAM)                 $16,240   71-74-75-75--295     7-over