Paul Waring admitted he doubted whether he would ever win on the European Tour after finally doing so at the 200th attempt with a nerve-wracking victory in the Nordea Masters.

Waring held a two-shot lead with four holes to play and was still one ahead playing the last, only for playing partner Thomas Aiken to make birdie and force extra holes.

However, Aiken then drove into the water when the players returned to the 18th for a sudden-death play-off and Waring's par was good enough to secure the victory and first prize of £225,000.

The pair began the day tied for the lead and matching rounds of 68 saw them finish level on 14 under par at Hills Golf Club, a shot ahead of Germany's Max Kieffer.

Kieffer covered the back nine in 29 in a brilliant final round of 65, with Thorbjorn Olesen's fourth place enough to see him displace Ian Poulter in the final automatic qualifying berth for next month's Ryder Cup, with just two events remaining.

"I'm obviously ecstatic," Waring told Sky Sports. "I wasn't ever sure this day would come in total honesty. I've tried so hard for many years to get to this point and it's nice to finally get across the line and be holding the trophy.

"It wasn't easy. I felt really in control though. I've made a few swing changes so I was kind of allowing myself to hit some bad shots now and again, so I wasn't getting too wound up in where the ball was going."

Waring won the English Amateur title in 2005, but has been hampered by numerous injuries during his professional career and last year's 60th place on the Race to Dubai was his best season to date.

"It feels like it's all worth it," the 33-year-old from Birkenhead added. "I've had a couple of operations along the way and it's nice to have finally got to this point and I'm sure everyone back home will be absolutely thrilled for me.

"I've got a great team around me so this is all for them as well."

Aiken had made the ideal start with two birdies in the first three holes, but the South African then dropped shots at the fourth and fifth and birdies on the second, 10th and 13th gave Waring a two-shot lead.

Waring's bogey on the 15th gave Aiken renewed hope and he got up and down from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to force extra holes, only to make a mess of the play-off hole and miss out on a fourth European Tour title.

Day Three report

Paul Waring and Thomas Aiken shared the lead heading into the final round of the Nordea Masters but Ryder Cup hopeful Thorbjorn Olesen was hot on their heels in Gothenburg.

Englishman Waring entered a windy day three at Hills Golf Club in a share of the lead and that was where he ended it after a round of 69, with South African Aiken joining him on 12 under after a 67.

Dane Olesen was then three shots back alongside Scotsman Marc Warren - who won the first of his three European Tour titles at this event in 2006.

Waring, who was two shots ahead of Aiken at the start of the day, found himself behind after the 35-year-old birdied the second, third and fifth but was back in a share of top spot thanks to a monster putt on the 10th.

Aiken made a remarkable up-and-down for a birdie on the 12th and led by two when Waring found water on the same hole, before a hat-trick of Aiken bogeys from the 15th had the 33-year-old back in the lead.

He led by two with a birdie on the 17th but a two-shot swing on the last left the duo locked together heading into Sunday.

"I'd have snatched your hand off for a 69 coming in at the start of the day," said Waring. "It'll be nice to be in that situation, last group on a Sunday, it's all you ever ask for."

Olesen overcame a double-bogey on the seventh in a 67 as he looks to overhaul Ian Poulter in the final automatic qualifying place in European captain Thomas Bjorn's team to face the United States at Le Golf National next month.

"I would love to be a couple of shots closer but it looks like I still have a chance," Olesen told Sky Sports Golf. "So I'm going to go out there tomorrow and hopefully I can play like I did on the back nine and yesterday and give myself a lot of chances."

Warren carded a 66 to sit a shot ahead of German Maximilian Kieffer and two clear of England's Lee Slattery.

Day Two report

Scott Jamieson and Paul Waring share the halfway lead in the Nordea Masters as Thorbjorn Olesen maintained his challenge for a Ryder Cup qualifying place in Gothenburg.

Scotland's Jamieson added a "Kamikaze" 65 to his opening 64 at Hills Golf Club to finish 11 under par, a total matched by England's Waring thanks to three birdies in the last five holes in his 63.

South Africa's Thomas Aiken is two shots off the lead after three-putting the last for his only bogey in a 65, with Scotland's Bradley Neil, England's Lee Slattery and American Hunter Stewart, the world number 1,309, four off the lead on seven under.

Olesen is alongside former world number one Martin Kaymer in a six-way tie for seventh, which would be enough to overhaul Ian Poulter in the final automatic qualifying place in European captain Thomas Bjorn's team to face the United States at Le Golf National next month.

Starting on the back nine, Olesen carded five birdies in the space of seven holes to race to the turn in 29, before recording two bogeys and a birdie on the inward half in his 66.

"The first 11 or 12 holes were really tough," said Olesen, who is good friends with fellow Dane Bjorn. "The wind was blowing like yesterday afternoon so it was quite tricky, but I stroked the ball beautifully today.

"I was swinging the club really nice, middle of the fairways, attacking the pins, but I just didn't really get it going, I feel like I could have been really low today.

"Obviously I hit that loose shot on eight [where he made a bogey six], lost the concentration a little bit. But besides that shot I feel like I did really well today.

"I would like to keep playing like I did today over the next few days. If I can keep swinging the club the way I did today and keep playing like that I think I'll have a chance on Sunday."

Jamieson has more mundane matters than the Ryder Cup on his mind, the 34-year-old Glaswegian starting the week ranked 126th in the Race to Dubai, with only the top 110 at the end of the season keeping their full European Tour card.

"It was another great day. It was perhaps a little Kamikaze at times but I scored really well with the exception of a three-putt on 14," Jamieson told Sky Sports after a round containing seven birdies and two bogeys.

Day one report

Scott Jamieson

Scott Jamieson believes he can use his experience to get out of a "sticky situation" and retain his European Tour card for next season.

Jamieson recorded four top-10 finishes in 2017 and was a career-best 26th on the Race to Dubai, but currently lies 126th with only the top 110 at the end of the season retaining their full playing privileges for 2019.

The Florida-based Scot, who also struggled to retain his card in 2015 and 2016, made a superb start to the Nordea Masters in Gothenburg with an opening six-under-par 64 to lie just two shots off the lead held by France's Clement Sordet.

"I'm obviously in a bit of a sticky situation as things stand but if I can keep days like today going then I'll be OK," Jamieson told Sky Sports.

"I've been in this situation before so I know what to do, I know you shouldn't be panicking. It's hard but you just have to keep going.

"When it comes down to being on the course it's the old cliche of one shot at a time, but it's not something you can ignore. You know where you stand so there is more pressure but hopefully I can stand up to it.

"I feel like I've played quite well this summer, had a 12th and 13th and was OK in Ireland (T40th). Some of the other weeks were a bit disappointing because I felt like I was playing quite well so I'm just picking up where I left off in Germany (Porsche European Open) and hopefully I can press on.

"A 64 sounds great. We had the better of the conditions this morning, I played the first 11 or 12 holes before it started getting too windy. There's a bit of room off the tee but it's about getting the distance and trusting the wind. It is gusting up and down so it's going to be tricky."

Jamieson shared second place with England's Lee Slattery, with Sweden's Christofer Blomstrand one of four players a shot further back at Hills Golf Club.

Pre-tournament favourite Thorbjorn Olesen, who is seeking a second win of the season to move into the automatic Ryder Cup qualifying places, birdied his last two holes to card a two-under-par 68.

Olesen received a free drop on the 14th when his wayward tee shot could not be found, but was deemed to have disappeared down what appeared to be a rabbit warren.

Former world number one Martin Kaymer is three shots off the pace after a 67 containing five birdies and two bogeys.