Irish Open: Herbert seals a three-shot win at Mount Juliet
Australian Lucas Herbert has won the Irish Open.
He took a one-shot lead into the final round at a rain-soaked Mount Juliet and carded a closing 68 to finish on 19 under par, three shots clear of Sweden's Rikard Karlberg.
And the 25-year-old believes his career has come full circle after securing his second European Tour title.
The victory secured Herbert a place in the Open Championship at Royal St George's, with Karlberg - who chipped in on the 18th for his third birdie in the last four holes - and third-placed American Johannes Veerman claiming the other two places on offer.
"It's an unbelievable feeling,'' Herbert said. I felt like I was at one of my low points in my life when I played the Irish Open at Lahinch two years ago.
"It was my first full season on Tour and I really wasn't enjoying my life out on the road and at the end of that week was pretty much questioning if this was the career that I wanted to do.
"I'd never played full-time on Tour and being away from home so much I think that was the first taste of reality, and I don't know that I really enjoyed it that much at the time.
"The people around me that were looking after me the most, I wasn't treating them the way I probably should have. I finished out that year and then had to make some tough decisions in my life as to whether this was what I wanted to do.
"There's no better feeling than coming off that 18th green on Sunday having a good result under your belt and I just felt like I didn't want to sit there at 30, 35, 40 and having hung up the clubs and being one of those guys that sits at the bar and goes 'That could have been me.'
"That Irish Open was probably the low point and for it to come full circle now and be holding this trophy, it's really special.''
Cormac Sharvin was the highest placed of the Northern Ireland contingent - he ended up in 33rd place
But a mistake-ridden final day left Rory McIlroy 59th - three shots behind Graeme McDowell
Meanwhile Shane Lowry was tied for 23rd.