As with every professional’s first victory, Jacobson’s triumph at Fanling brought overwhelming relief – particularly as he had been second six times before on tour.

Jacobson admitted he had wondered whether he was ever going to win, especially when he came up short to compatriot Patrik Sjoland in the 2000 Murphy’s Irish Open, and then to Eduardo Romero in last season’s Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

He said: “The two tournaments that hurt a lot were the Irish Open in 2000 and the Scottish Open this year.

“Especially at Loch Lomond, that tournament was up to me to win.”

For Jacobson, who had enjoyed a few home comforts by tucking into Swedish food at the local Ikea in Hong Kong, the win was all the more satisfying given his dreadful start on Thursday.

“I started off terribly this week – I was three over par after 11 holes and looking like I was going to struggle to make the cut,” he said.

“But I told my caddy that from then on I was just going to try and keep the ball in play and hit as many greens as I could, not chasing anything, and that’s what turned it around.

“That was the key – I wasn’t putting any pressure on myself, just trying to hit the greens.”

Beginning the final day a shot behind overnight leaders Berendt, Nystrom and Stephen Dodd, Jacobson fired four birdies in an outward half of 30.

He dropped a shot at the 11th but bounced back with birdies at the long 12th and the 14th and parred in from there, raising his fist to the skies as he sank a 10-footer for par on the last to virtually assure victory.

Welshman Dodd, who had also been eyeing his maiden tour title, had been jockeying for the lead with Jacobson for much of the day but effectively saw his chance slip away with a missed 18-inch putt on the 15th.

The blunder proved expensive, as he finished back in joint fourth on 13-under 263 alongside Scotland’s Gary Orr and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen. Zimbabwean Tony Johnstone was seventh on 12 under.

Jacobson added: “Of course I’m delighted – it’s just taken a bit longer than I was hoping for.

“I’ve been close so many times before that it’s a big relief. If you keep working hard then you give yourself enough chances and sooner or later you’re going to win. But at the same time, the longer it takes the more difficult it becomes.”

Six-time major champion Nick Faldo, who had gone into the final day just four behind the lead as he chased his first title for five years, made a valiant late bid for the top.

Reaching the turn in 32 after picking up shots at the fifth and ninth, the 45-year-old moved to 12 under with back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th, but his charge had come just too late and after finding water at the last a double-bogey six dropped him back to joint 11th.

“I played really well and only missed one green and one fairway. I had a really bad swing at the last and put it in the water, but apart from that I hit a lot of good shots. I’ve had a really good week,” Faldo said.