As the owner of a construction company in his native Chile, you might have thought that Felipe Aguilar had plenty to occupy his mind. Yet a hankering to test himself in a completely different arena has led to the 33-year-old plying his trade not as a property developer but as a professional golfer on this side of the Atlantic for the past three years.

Aguilar's talent and determination bore fruit yesterday with a dramatic maiden victory on the European Tour at the Indonesian Open at the Cengkareng Golf Club in Jakarta, when he came through to pip Jeev Milkha Singh, of India, at the final hole.

Aguilar, who has won more than 30 times in Chile, had started the day with a two-shot lead over Singh but was trailing him by a stroke when he approached the 18th tee in the final round. In aggressive, matchplay style, however, the 5ft 7in Chilean forced the issue, rolling in a five-foot putt for a birdie that left Singh needing to sink a slightly shorter one for a par that would have guaranteed a play-off.

Singh's putt hit the hole and the ball “lipped” out, however, leaving a stunned Aguilar to milk the applause and to weigh up the scale of his achievement - not so much the €137,883 (about £103,200) that he had scooped, but the fact that he now has an exemption into all European Tour events until the end of 2010.

Aguilar had a 68 to go with rounds of 65, 62, and 67 for an 18-under-par total of 262, so, for the second time in two weeks, a relative unknown has won a European Tour event.

First, S.S.P. Chowrasia, a former greenkeeper's son from Calcutta, walked off with the inaugural Indian Masters tournament in Delhi, and now Aguilar has joined him in the ranks of first-time winners. Others to have achieved the feat on the tour this season are Richard Finch (New Zealand Open), James Kingston (SAA Open) and Martin Kaymer (Abu Dhabi Championship).

Aguilar - whose wife, Loreto, looks after the family business and their three children when he is away from home - came through Qualifying School in 2005 but struggled as a rookie in 2006 and lost his playing rights. However, he had an exceptional year on the second-tier Challenge Tour in 2007, winning twice and securing five top-ten finishes, and won his place back on the main tour. Now it looks as if he is here to stay.

“It feels awesome,” Aguilar said of his victory. “This is life-changing for me [because now] I can play wherever I want to play.”

Singh, as is his wont, was generous in defeat. “It was Aguilar's day and not mine today,” the former Volvo Masters champion said. “It was disappointing for me, but I guess that's golf. He deserves this win and I congratulate him.”