David Higgins produced a superb finish to win the Guenther Hamburg Classic and thus guarantee a return to the European tour next season.

The Waterville golfer's victory in the Challenge tour event allowed him to move to the top of the Order of Merit with earnings of £35,514, some £9,000 more than his nearest rival.

The 27-year-old Kerryman produced a scintillating last 18 holes, shooting a course record 64, breaking the mark held by Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara.