Jean Hugo held firm in testing conditions to win the Reignwood Legends Championship at Reignwood Pine Valley in China, securing his maiden Staysure Legends Tour title and full playing rights for the remainder of 2026 and the 2027 season.
The South African began Sunday with a one-shot advantage over Stephen Gallacher and carded a one-under-par 71 to finish on -13, three shots clear of Matthew Cort after a dramatic final day in Beijing.
Hugo was caught at the top by Gallacher after six holes, but a decisive swing at the 8th and 9th restored his advantage before he held firm over the closing stretch.
Cort produced the only bogey-free round of the day, a three-under-par 69, to finish second on -10, while Jeev Milkha Singh, David Drysdale and Gallacher shared third place on -6.
Victory carries added significance for Hugo, who finished fifth at Qualifying School earlier this year and narrowly missed out on full playing rights. Having spent much of his first season with limited opportunity to get into events, his breakthrough in China now guarantees his place on the Staysure Legends Tour to the end of 2027.
“I don’t think it’s going to get any tougher than today,” said Hugo. “The course was brutal and you really had to be patient. It was so firm that at some stages you couldn’t quite get it to the pins.
“We all struggled a bit in the beginning, but I caught some momentum and just tried to stay focused.”
Cameron Clark looked to be on course for a second successive top-10 finish as he got to the 15th at two-under for his round and -2 overall, but a disastrous finish in which he made two bogeys and a crippling quadruple bogey on the par-3 17th left him back in a share of 21st.
Gary Murphy, struggling with a back injury he sustained last week, finished tied for 57th.
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