AN ECSTATIC Graeme Storm has landed a brand new £147,000 BMW car after hitting a hole-in-one at the Omega European Masters – and his prize pot could get considerably bigger on Sunday.

The 36-year-old nailed a six-iron at the 217-yard Par 3 to land the stylish motor at Crans-sur-Sierre on the third day of the tournament before posting three further birdies en route to a third round six-under 64.

Storm’s heroics mean he will start the final round as the clear overnight leader on 16-under in Switzerland after keeping his head when the adrenaline was flowing following his ace. He is one clear of fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and American Brooks Koepka is a shot further back.

“It’s unbelievable. I didn’t expect to shoot a score like that,” said Storm. “What celebrations. To win something like that is marvellous. I haven’t got a car at the moment because I’ve been playing so badly, I’ve had to give it back.

“To be honest, I don’t even know how I hit my tee shot on the 12th, but I flushed it, I couldn’t have hit a better shot. I was buzzing about what happened.”

The Hartlepool golfer was two shots off the lead after finishing Friday on ten-under and he started strongly enough today, making birdie at three, six and seven.

That powered him to the top of the leaderboard but then he dropped a shot at the eighth. He remained calm and composed, though, by following up a birdie and bogey through nine and ten with his brilliant hole-in-one.

With the smile wide, Storm then managed to maintain his excellent form by birdying the 13th, 15th and 17th. He would have been further clear at the top had he not bogeyed at the 14th.

But after repeating his opening round 64, which had a solid 66 sandwiched in between, he will now look to finish off the job on Sunday knowing that he needs a big finish to boost his chances of securing his European Tour card for next year.

He said: “It’s more of the same now. I will hit a few balls. I will work on a few things out there. My putting is sound and you have to keep doing what you have been doing. Hopefully I will get a good night’s sleep!”