Richard Backwell has beaten Michael Long on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to win the Sunshine Coast Masters.

Backwell started the day two shots behind Long and it took him until the very last hole of regulation play to join Long at the top of the leaderboard at 11-under par following his final round 4-under 68.

After a two hour weather delay, the pair traded blows over the opening nine holes with Long maintaining a two shot lead at the turn.

A birdie at 10 extended Long’s lead to three, but a birdie at the next for Backwell to Long’s bogey had the lead back to one.

Long held onto his lead until Backwell made a birdie at the 18^th hole to draw level for the very first time of the final round and force a sudden death playoff.

The pair headed back to the 18^th tee with Backwell securing the win via a birdie four for the second consecutive time at the 462 metre par-5.

“It’s great to win this event, especially in front of so many Legends of the game that I have looked up to since I was a kid,” said Backwell.

“Michael played well today and I knew that I would need to hang in there if I was to give myself a chance. No doubt the turning point came at the 11^th, when there was a two stroke swing, but when I made bogey at 17, I thought I may had blown my chance.”

“Thankfully it wasn’t and I made the most of my second chance.”

Although a disappointing end to his week, Brad Burns has done enough with his tie for 22^nd finish to hold an unassailable lead in the Ladbrokes PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit ahead of the final event at the Maleny Legends Pro-Am tomorrow.

For all the results from the 2018 Sunshine Coast Masters, please click here.