Liam Johnston effectively secured his place on next year’s European Tour after a fine triumph in the Challenge Tour’s Kazakhstan Open.

The 25-year-old, a winner on the second-tier circuit earlier in the season, closed with a five-under 67 for a 24-under aggregate of 264 and won by two shots from England’s Tom Murray.

Since his maiden win on the tour in Spain back in May, Johnston had made just three cuts in 11 events prior to his trip to Kazakhstan and had slipped down to 40th on the rankings.

With just the top 15 at the end of the campaign earning promotion to the main tour, Johnston’s hopes of a step up appeared to be evaporating but he saved his best for one of the most lucrative events of the year. His cheque for around £64,000 saw him barge up the order of merit and into the tour card-winning places with five events of season remaining.

Johnston, who was a shot off the lead heading into the final round, slipped to an early bogey on the first but his response was robust and birdies at the second, sixth and eighth and an eagle on the ninth bolstered his title push.

Murray emerged as the frontrunner as he mounted a telling surge with four birdies in six holes from the 10th but he stumbled over the line with bogeys at the 17th and 18th. Johnston kept it steady and eased over the finishing line with a solid stream of pars to seal the biggest win of his career.