Paul Lawrie Match Play 2015: Final Scores, Bracket, Prize Money Payouts and More

Kiradech Aphibarnrat was crowned the inaugural Paul Lawrie Match Play champion on Sunday after defeating Robert Karlsson in the competition's final.

Aphibarnrat won on three of the first six holes to take a resounding lead early on in Aberdeen, Scotland, but the Thai native had to withstand a late assault by his foe to triumph by just a single hole.

Meanwhile, David Howell took third spot after beating playoff opponent Marc Warren by one hole, settling a fiercely contended matchup thanks to his birdie on the 17th.

Aphibarnrat's victory nets him a €171,000 share of the tournament's €1 million purse, with the top four finishers and their winnings detailed below:

Place	Player	Prize Money
1st	Kiradech Aphibarnrat (1UP)	€171,000
2nd	Robert Karlsson	€116,500
3rd	David Howell (1UP)	€67,500
4th	Mar Warren	€55,000

A blustery day in Scotland looked as though it would sweep the winds of fortune in favour of Aphibarnrat from the beginning, with Karlsson bogeying three of the first six holes, which his opponent proceeded to birdie.

Three up after eight holes and it looked as though the 26-year-old was on for his second big win of the year following success at the Shenzhen International. Punters Lounge Golf showed what Sunday's meeting meant to him:

"

Aphibarnrat is 2UP thru 8 holes against Karlsson and this is how he will celebrate if he wins... https://t.co/Gi7BYuZdph

— Punters Lounge Golf (@PLGolfTips) August 2, 2015"

However, the eighth brought about a change in the match's dynamic, with Aphibarnrat sinking his first bogey of the match, allowing Karlsson to get back on the board and take the first of back-to-back points.

Regardless, even with his cushion reduced to a single point, Aphibarnrat proceeded to chase down the course with heaving drives off the tee, including a 380-yard effort on the 11th, per the official European Tour Twitter account:

It was that very kind of intent that paid dividends for the Thailand representative, as he bounced back to winning ways on the 11th hole, birdieing to go back in front by a margin of two points.

If matters looked dim for Karlsson at that point, things only got worse on the 14th after Aphibarnrat reopened his three-shot lead thanks to a six-foot putt miss from the Swede.

The greatest drama was to come, though, and Karlsson saved his best tricks for last to seal three points in succession on the 15th through 17th holes, showing some sensationally astute approach play all the while.

STV presenter Tyrone Smith was left in awe of the showdown after a 10-foot putt saw Karlsson tie the scores with just one hole remaining:

Aphibarnrat brought a level head back right when it mattered, and after swinging his tee shot right on the 18th, he recovered from the rough to come with metres of the pin.

In a bid to avoid the dangers of the 18th, Karlsson also swung his drive wide right and showed impressive skills to come so close to the pin himself, but a badly judged putt sealed his demise.

That missed opportunity from 10 feet awarded Aphibarnrat an opportunity one can't afford to give in Match Play golf, and his opponent promptly pounced upon it to win his third European Tour event.

Just a single hole separated the pair in the end following a climactic finish at Murcar Golf Links, with Aphibarnrat starting out, and ultimately finishing, as the stronger of the two.