The winner of the Kel Nagle Cup as an amateur 11 years ago, Eccles rolled in 20-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at The Vintage and then watched on as Bland missed from much closer in with his bid to send the duo back to the 18th tee.

But it wasn’t the putt that Eccles was quick to designate as the best shot he’d ever hit.

It was the 7-iron approach from 171 metres to virtual tap-in range on the 72nd hole, setting up a birdie to lift him into sudden-death with Bland, the Players Series South Australia winner, and fellow Victorian Lachie Aylen. The trio finishing at 10-under-par.

Aylen’s bid for a first Tour victory ended with a bogey at the first playoff hole.

“Even just to give myself a chance to win on that back nine was something that was kind of the goal for the day and I knew it was going to be really tough out there,” Eccles said.

“There's a lot of good players. It's so hard to win. And then I just managed to hit the best shot of my life on 18.

“Best win I've ever had.”

Co-leader after the second and third rounds, Eccles made a sluggish Sunday morning start after a night of interrupted sleep, but turned his final round in his favour when he chipped in for an eagle at the par-5 14th as the lead swapped countless times.

He closed with a round of 1-under-par 70, with Bland and Aylen catching him with rounds of 69.

The rewards for the 31-year-old's win include jumping to the top of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and a start in the Capital.com Australian Open at Kingston Heath.

“It sets up the rest of the year for me really nicely and what I can do. It's just an amazing feeling,” Eccles said.

“You try so hard to put yourself in a position to win a golf tournament and to win this week is just hard to put into words to be honest.”

Bland’s final round featured three birdies and a solitary bogey, one of just five he had during an ultra-consistent week.

“Benny played great all day and we had a good tussle out there for the 18 holes and then to go extra ones. Just my putter cost me today,” he said.

“If I can get into that situation more often and enjoy it, like I said to my caddy, it's pretty cool that I'm doing this part-time and able to compete and get in these situations.”

One of the most improved players on Tour, Aylen’s T2 finish matched what he achieved earlier in the season at the PNG Open.

The former PGA Associate of the Year, who birdied the 15th and 16th to get to 10-under-par, three-putted the opening playoff hole, his bid for a tournament-winning birdie shaving the cup before he missed the return par putt.

“I’m really disappointed and probably will be more disappointed tomorrow,” the 34-year-old said.

“I’m really happy with how I played the whole week but it’s obviously going to sting a little bit.”

The long list of players who held the outright lead or a share of top spot, but missed out on the playoff, included Lucas Herbert, Andre Lautee, Daniel Gale, Jye Halls and Kiwi amateur Yuki Miya.

Chasing his second Ford NSW Open title in three years, Herbert made a charge with four birdies in five holes around the turn. A double-bogey at the 13th was a hurdle the world No.53 couldn’t overcome.

Lautee was another to make a final-day run, sparked by an eagle at the par-5 seventh. His fourth place was his best finish on Tour since a third place at the 2022 Gippsland Super 6.

After starting Sunday in a share of eighth in his first appearance in an professional event in Australia, Miya made his move with five birdies in his first eight holes. He then stalled with a bogey and eight straight pars before missing from two metres for par on the last.

Halls’ bid ended when he had a run of three bogeys in four holes on the back nine, while Gale was tied for the lead on the 18th but hit his tee shot wide right, couldn’t escape trouble with his second and ended up making a six.

The former Australian amateur champion ended up carding a 72 to finish in sixth, one ahead Miya, Gale, low man on Sunday Cam Harlock (65) and 17-year-old amateur Ti Fox (67) all at 7-under-par.

The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season will continue with the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee with Elvis Smylie and defending champion Cam John among those in the field.