KEY POINTS:
New Zealand golfer Gareth Paddison secured his best result in his rookie season on the European Tour today.
The left-hander finished in a tie for 12th at the Russian Open in Moscow, his fourth top-20 result of the year.
Paddison left his best to last in the Russian capital, closing out with a five-under-par 67 to improve from his overnight position of 21st equal.
That left him at 13-under 275, eight shots shy of the winner, Mikael Lundberg, of Sweden.
Steve Alker, the other New Zealander in the field, finished in a share of 51st place after posting 70 today.
Paddison made his move immediately in the last round by posting a birdie at the first hole.
Others followed at the fifth and sixth but he dropped a stroke at the par-four 10th before coming home determinedly with three successive birdies from the 15th hole.
Paddison collected 19,527 euro ($41,975) for his efforts, lifting him to 147th on the tour's order of merit with income this term of 112,703 euro ($242,270).
- NZPA
