Enormous galleries had followed the 30 year old all week around The Dutch course in Spijk, and he gave them the result they so desperately craved with a scintillating display of iron play and long-range putting to hold off the challenge of Bernd Wiesberger.

The pair went blow for blow for large parts of Sunday afternoon but three birdies in his final five holes elevated Luiten to a 19 under total and a three-shot victory over the Austrian.

The triumph makes Luiten the first Dutch player to win his national Open twice – following his win in 2013 – since the event joined the European Tour in 1972. It also makes him a five-time Tour winner.

Joost Luiten salutes the crowd after holing his final putt. PHOTO: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

“The first one was special but this one is very special,” Luiten said.

“To have the Dutch people behind me all week and to be able to stand here with the trophy in my hands is very special. It was one of those days where everything I looked at went in the hole.

“People talk about the zone, and I think I was in it today. I missed one shot when I went in the water on 13 but besides that I didn’t do much wrong. These are the kind of days that make it all worth getting out of bed for." - Joost Luiten

“I only realised when I walked off 18 that someone said I had made ten birdies. I had no idea it was that many – I was trying to keep my head down and stay ahead of Bernd because he was getting closer and closer. So I just kept trying to make birdies and then to have a three shot lead coming down the last was amazing.”

This was Luiten’s first win for almost two years and reward for a brilliantly consistent 2016 so far that saw him come into the week with eight top-10s including two runner-up finishes, which he said had been disappointing.

“Sometimes it can be more difficult to have a tournament on your home course because the pressure and expectation can be too much but I just tried to stay calm all week because I knew I was swinging it well and the big thing for me was my mental game,” Luiten said.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

“I didn’t let myself down mentally and to be able to pull through in front of all these people was special.

“This makes up for any disappointments this season. I had been so close to winning this year in Spain and China but to win here in front of your home support just makes you forget about all the disappointing results. We will see what happens but I just want to keep this form going and see where it takes me.”

South Korea's Byeong-hun An finished third at 13 under, after matching Wiesberger’s closing round 65.

Scott Hend fires his second shot into the 6th green to set up an eagle. PHOTO: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Queensland’s Scott Hend had a final round he’d probably rather forget. For the second week in a row he held the 54-hole lead but failed to close out the tournament.

A week after being beaten in a play-off for the European Masters by Sweden’s Alex Noren, the 43-year-old looked likely to go one better in Holland as he started the final round at 14 under and a one-shot lead.

His pursuers came out firing and he found himself trailing through the first five holes after an early setback with a bogey at the par-3 4th hole. He then regained the lead with a terrific eagle on the par-5 6th and extended his lead to two strokes with a birdie at the next hole.

But a double bogey at the short par-4 9th would prove to be the beginning of the end for Hend’s run at the title. Within seconds of him tapping in for six, Luiten – playing in the group ahead – was making his sixth birdie of the day. The resulting three-shot swing saw Luiten take the lead, which he never surrendered.

Hend eventually finished in four-way tie for fourth at 12-under, seven shots behind Luiten. Victorian Marcus Fraser was the only other Australian to make the cut and he finished T66.

Andrew Dodt, Brett Rumford, Richard Green, Nathan Holman, Terry Pilkdaris and Jason Scrivener all missed the cut.