Without a win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia despite a decade of trying and a total of 22 top-10 finishes, Marchesani delivered three of the most clutch shots of his career to close with a round of 7-under 65 and a 17-under-par total, holding off Jasper Stubbs (66) and defending champion Oliver Bekker (67).

The win will be remembered for the shot he into two feet at the 178-metre par-3 17th to push one clear of Stubbs, yet there were countless shots throughout the round that were equally impactful.

There was the approach into the par-4 14th to set up birdie at what had been the toughest hole all week, Bekker’s bogey at the same hole producing a two-shot swing and elevating Marchesani into a share of the lead.

The 35-year-old saved par with a sublime bunker shot at the par-4 15th, converted his birdie chance from six feet after Stubbs had made eagle to join him at 16-under and then stepped up to hit a tee shot at 17 that for a fleeting moment threatened to roll into the hole.

He was the first to hit after finding the fairway at the par-4 18th and then – with an enormous WA gallery completely encircling the green – two-putted from 40 feet to secure a win he had begun to question would ever come.

“The robot’s held up,” said Marchesani, who was third on last year’s Order of Merit to secure status on the HotelPlanner Tour in Europe in 2027.

“I think it’s testament myself, just to hard work, just a lot of hard work. It's nice to get the ultimate reward.

“It was a matter of how long can you sort of wait and when is it going to happen? When is it going to happen? I'm playing good, but it's not quite happening.

“I've always believed I've been good enough to (win). It's probably come a little later than what I thought out here. Everyone's so talented now, so you’ve got to work harder and harder and harder. And as I get a little bit older, it is a little bit harder, but I still love it.

“Just a really rewarding week.”

In conditions that appeared more conducive to a conservative approach, the final group put on a ball-striking masterclass over the opening nine holes.

On a golf course where a false move could easily cost a stroke or two, Bekker, Stubbs and Marchesani gave the galleries flooding Secret Harbour a display of elite golf to put a gap between themselves and the rest of the field.

Tied at 10-under at the start of play, Bekker and Stubbs landed the first blows with birdies at the par-5 first, Stubbs laying down the gauntlet with a driver-wedge combination at the 438-metre par-5 third for eagle from 25 feet.

Moving to 13-under gave Stubbs a one-stroke buffer from Bekker who made birdie, as did James Marchesani to stay within two.

As Stubbs settled for par, Bekker and Marchesani both made birdie at four, Stubbs assuming control once again when he almost made the third hole-in-one of the week, tapping in for birdie at the par-3 fifth to move to 14-under.

A two at the par-3 seventh saw Bekker once again draw level and when Stubbs made bogey after hitting his second shot right of the green on nine to an almost impossible position to make par, the South African heading into the back nine one in front.

He and Marchesani continued their toing and froing with matching birdies at 10 and 11, Stubbs clawing his way back to 14-under with a third birdie in the group on 11.

But as he threatened to better the course record of 7-under 65 that he matched in Round 1, Bekker made his first mistake of the day and made bogey on 14, Marchesani pouncing with birdie to initiate a two-shot swing and join Bekker at the top of the leaderboard.

Queenslander Louis Dobbelaar shot 65 on Sunday to continue his strong start to the 2026/2027 season while Connor McDade moved inside the top five with 5-under 67 and a 10-under total.

In the WA Open All Abilities Championship, Steven Alderson came from three strokes back to win the WA Open for the first time a week after claiming the WA PGA All Abilities Championship in Kalgoorlie.