Australian Brett Rumford birdied the first play-off hole to claim his third European Tour title in dramatic fashion in the Omega European Masters.

Rumford chipped in from off the 18th green to beat England's Phillip Archer after the pair had finished tied on 16 under par at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Archer's approach had also run through the green but the 35-year-old from Warrington - who carded a closing 65 - was unable to match Rumford's feat and had to settle for his second runners-up finish of the season.

Despite recording two eagles in his final round, Hartlepool's Graeme Storm finished 12 shots behind the leaders.

Storm's Sunday play was littered with bogeys at the sixth, tenth, 11th, 13th, 14th and 18th and he ended up in a share for 20th place.

The 29-year-old, already assured of a place in the Seve Trophy this month, had been in a decent position on Friday night after successive 69s.

However, after making the cut, two level par 71s prevented him from staying with the leading pack.

Rumford had led by one with two holes to play but bogeyed the 17th, just as Archer had done 20 minutes earlier.

The 30-year-old from Perth, winner of the St Omer Open in 2003 and Irish Open in 2004, had a birdie putt from 15ft to win in regulation but failed to convert, giving defending champion Bradley Dredge a chance to make it a three-way play-off.

However, Dredge missed from a similar distance to finish third on 15 under par, one ahead of fellow Welshman Sion Bebb, who enjoyed his best finish on the European Tour with a closing 68.

Rumford, second in the New Zealand Open at the start of the year, said: ''It was tracking all the way and I thought it was coming up short but the breeze took it in.

''You are just suspended there for that brief second in anticipation but there is nothing going through your mind but 'Get in'.

''My short game has pulled me through this week. After Seve Ballesteros' redesign the course is very tricky, especially when the greens are firm in the afternoon.

''It's been a pretty tough year. It's been emotional and I had to have five minutes to myself in the back room when it all hit me.

''I have been trying hard, grinding week in, week out for not much and for it all to come together this week...I just want to get home and see my fiancee and family now.''