AUSTRALIAN Peter Senior withstood a charge by world number one Greg Norman to win the £400,000 Greg Norman Classic at Royal Melbourne yesterday

In driving rain and wind, Senior fired a final round of two-under-par 70 to finish at seven under 271, one stroke ahead of Norman who had a closing 69.

Norman briefly shared the lead after he sank a monster putt for an eagle on the par five 14th but Senior then birdied the hole to move the decisive shot clear.

Senior, with earlier rounds of 69-73-69, earned £90,000 for his second win of the year on the Australasian tour, having taken the Challenge title at Terrey Hills in Sydney in February.

The joint overnight leader, New Zealander Michael Long, struggled early on but staged a whirlwind finish, picking up three strokes over the last seven holes to finish third at five-under with rounds of 70-71-72 and 70.