But it was Crawford who wrote the better redemption story on the day.

Victorian Darcy Brereton, who shot the equal-low round of the day, a four-under 68, tied for fourth at 11-under with overnight joint leader Jason Hong and WA’s Braden Becker.

Crawford said he was on his “third restart” from a tough couple of years with the injury.

“A lot’s gone on. It’s been pretty difficult at times. To be in this is pretty special,” he said afterwards.

Injuries have prevented Crawford from playing much golf at all in the past few years since he injured his back in the gym. The injury turned out to be a fracture of the T10 vertebrae but the diagnosis came later, after he had attempted to play through the pain.

“It’s still a management process,” he said. “I’m still at the stage where if I move the wrong way it can come back again. But every day that doesn’t happen I’m getting further and further away from going back to where I was.”

Five or six players were deep in contention throughout a pulsating final day in difficult, 30-kilometre-per-hour winds, but beyond bogeys at the fourth and sixth holes, the Queenslander was brilliant. He picked up shots at the eighth, ninth, 12th and 13th with brilliant approaches to the green and then at the 16th, another lasered iron gave him the birdie that put him in front.

Crawford described himself as being “on my third restart” from the back issue, but yesterday he felt vindicated for all the work he has done.

“I’ve worked really hard with [coach] Terry Price on trying to improve the ball-striking. It feels really good to hit some good shots under the pump,” he said.

He also paid tribute to caddie for the weekend Neven Basic, his fellow tour pro, especially for guidance over the putt on 18. Crawford had his read of a little right-to-left, but called Basic over to confirm it.

“Under pressure sometimes it can get a little hazy, but he was awesome. To have that bit of reassurance was awesome, and we hit a great putt.”

McCumber was the nearest-pursuer and he at one point had a two-shot lead through 12 holes. The American had flown to Australia to get in some golf after his own long period of injury troubles, and he appeared on track for a win.

But he slipped out of the lead with a bogey at at the 15th, lipped out for birdie downhill at the par-3 17th hole and then could not make the birdie he needed at 18. Like Quayle, he would have reflected on the fact that in round one, he was penalised two strokes for mistakenly taking a preferred lie.

Joint overnight leaders Jye Pickin (75) and Jason Hong (73) quickly slipped back into the pack with Pickin sliding into a tie for eighth.

Quayle threw everything into his redemption story, but he fell two shots short.

“I’m sure when I reflect on this in a little bit of time, I’ll be really proud of this week,” he said.

Meanwhile Victorian pro James Gibellini and Tim Snow won the teams event, the Victorian Amateur Challenge, at 33-under par.