Chandler, A.Z. – Australian Jake Younan entered the final round of the eGolf Gateway Tour’s fall series stop at Ocotillo Golf Club trailing overnight leader Darren Angel by one shot, but closed with a 7-under 65 to post 20-under 196 – good for a three-shot win and the event’s $11,000 first-place prize.

After opening his week with rounds of 65-66—131 (13-under), Younan played alongside Angel and Shane Smith in Thursday’s final round, quickly putting forth a torrid start out of the gate to erase the early deficit.

Birdies on Nos. 3, 6 and 7 gave him a 3-under 33 on his outward nine on the 1986 Ted Robinson design, which in turn put him at 16-under for the week – tied atop the leaderboard with Smith, who posted one better with a 4-under 32.

The two entered the closing nine at Ocotillo two shots clear of Angel, who could only muster one birdie and one bogey over the opening nine to remain at 14-under overall.

On the back nine, Younan seized control of the tournament, birdieing 10, 11 and 14 to snag a two-shot lead over Smith with four to play.

“That was a good thing after starting the day one behind. I’ve been in this position a few times before out here and didn’t play as aggressive as I should,” said Younan after the round. “Today I really wanted to go out there and stay aggressive and kept trying to hit it as close as I could, and I did that on the back nine.”

A Younan birdie on the par-3 16th came on the heels of back-to-back bogeys by Smith, who suddenly trailed the breakaway leader by five shots with two to go.

“The turning point today was on 15, where I hit my tee shot in the water and Shane hit his second shot in the water,” Younan said. “I was able to make par, while he wound up making bogey. That was a huge momentum switch.”

Younan, 27, bogeyed the par-4 17th but closed with one last birdie on the par-4 18th to round out a 7-under 65, good for a three-shot victory over Smith – his first win of the 2014-15 season.

The win marked Younan’s third on the Phoenix, Ariz.-based tour, following up prior triumphs in 2008 and 2012.

Younan, who hails from New South Wales, competed on the Web.com Tour in 2014, making one cut in 11 starts with a T46 at the Nova Scotia Open serving as his best finish.

It marked the second time that the former Texas Tech star has had full status on the PGA TOUR’s developmental circuit, dating back to a 2011 rookie campaign where he notched three top-25 finishes.

“I’ll do some Monday qualifiers for both the PGA and Web.com Tours, so I’ll mix in some of those in the coming year to try and get back out there,” said Younan, who qualified for the TOUR’s Sanderson Farms Championship this fall. “My wife and I are expecting our first child next year, so I’ll keep playing here in the meantime in order to spend some more time at home.”

Smith, originally from Godfrey, Ill., earned $6,000 for a career-best, runner-up effort.

Angel, who held a share of the 18-hole lead and the outright 36-hole lead, finished alone in third place at 16-under 200 – thanks to a final-round 70.

The finish marked a season-best for the 37-year-old from Northridge, Calif., who finished T13 at last month’s Moon Valley event.

Nathan Tyler of Tucson, Ariz. and Nate Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz. tied for fourth at 14-under 202. Both players earned $3,300 for their efforts.

eGolf Gateway Tour’s west coast fall series will conclude on December 16-18 at McCormick Ranch Golf Club (Palm) in Scottsdale, Ariz. Registration for this event is still open.