ESPN Golf

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands -- Britain's Ross Fisher survived a worrying rules inquiry on Sunday before knowing he had won the Dutch Open.

Fisher birdied the final hole for a closing 3-under 67 and a 12-under-par 268 aggregate, to take the title by a stroke from young Dutchman Joost Luiten.

However, the 26-year-old Englishman had to return to the 12th hole to prove he had not broken a rule by lifting a bramble and then check the incident on video before he was cleared to collect the $360,000 first prize.

Fisher became the European Tour's 16th first-time winner of the season but even before the rules scare the 26-year-old Englishman had made hard work of it.

He led 21-year-old Luiten, who also birdied the last for a 66, by two strokes with three holes to play.

Bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes, both by three-putting, left Fisher needing to hole an eight-footer for birdie on 18.

After a radio reporter informed the tour, Fisher had to prove he had not moved the bramble to his advantage.

He told reporters: "It was a thin strand and I went to move it because I thought it was a loose impediment. But when I realized it was attached I literally left it alone.

"They deemed it didn't improve my stance or my swing. I feel very fortunate."

The incident was reminiscent of a ruling at nearby Noordwijk in the 1992 Dutch Open when Briton Mike McLean was penalized two strokes when it was proved by video evidence he had pulled up a bramble in the final round, after looking as though he had won. Because of his penalty McLean did not even make the playoff, won in sudden-death by Bernhard Langer over Britain's Gordon Brand Jr.

Having shared the overnight lead with New Zealander Steve Alker and fellow-Briton David Carter, Fisher took over on his own with a birdie on the second and led the field by four shots after the 13th.

Luiten, normally a player on the Challenge Tour, on which he has won twice this year, refused to go away, though and pressurized Fisher into his late mistakes.

Victory was redemption for Fisher, who had shared the lead in Europe's flagship event in May, the PGA Championship, going into the final round but plummeted to 39th place after slumping to an 84.

Runner-up Luiten will not be able to bank his $240,000 check because that will go to the Dutch Federation's Golf Team Holland, from whom he draws a salary instead of prize money.

Alker shared third place on 8-under, four shots behind Fisher, with Langer, Frenchman Thomas Levet, Swede Alex Noren and Briton Alastair Forsyth. A 75 by Carter sent him down to tied 23rd.

Langer turns 50 on Monday and plays in next week's Champion's Tour event at Pebble Beach.