Shaun Murphy. Picture by Monique Limbos

SHAUN Murphy won his first ranking event in almost three years after victory over Fergal O’Brien secured him the last European PTC title of the season in Poland.

Top breaks of 103 and 75 helped Murphy to beat O’Brien 4-1 and land the Gdynia Open – ending a two-and-a-half-year wait for silverware when he won the Brazilian Masters in the summer of 2011.

Infact in terms of ranking event titles you have to go back further until he won the PTC Grand Finals a few months before in the same year.

And it was a day to remember for the 2005 world champion who earlier hit his third career 147 maximum break to seal his last 16 win over Welshman Jamie Jones.

Murphy took home the cash winning prize of 25,000 Euros and landing some silverware once again may give him the confidence he needs as the business end of the season approaches.

A scrappy first frame was won by Murphy before he doubled his lead to 2-0 with a clearance of 75 after O’Brien, playing in his first ranking final since the Northern Ireland Trophy final in 2007, missed a pink into the middle pocket.

Breaks of 65 and 63 extended Murphy’s lead further before the Irishman pulled a frame back to reduce this deficit to 3-1.

But Murphy wrapped the match up and a brilliant day at the office in style with a break of 103 after O’Brien missed a long blue at the start of frame five.

The tournament was the last European Tour Event of the season meaning the top 24 players from the European Order of Merit will now advance to the PTC Grand Finals taking place in Bangkok next month.

The 24 players, listed below, will be joined by eight more from the Asian Order of Merit which will be finalised when the last Asian Tour takes place next month.

European Order of Merit 2013/14 – The Top 24

1. Mark Allen £45,250
2. Ronnie O’Sullivan £38,616
3. Mark Selby £37,516
4. Mark Williams £30,683
5. Shaun Murphy £29,499
6. John Higgins £26,350
7. Ricky Walden £25,100
8. Judd Trump £20,249
9. Ding Junhui £18,333
10. Fergal O’Brien £17,199
11. Sam Baird £16,351
12. Marco Fu £15,100
13. Stephen Maguire £14,766
14. Neil Robertson £14,083
15. Jamie Jones £13,100
16. David Gilbert £12,883
17. Gerard Greene £12,783
18. Stuart Bingham £12,783
19. Ryan Day £10,950
20. Ben Woollaston £10,516
21. Jimmy Robertson £10,516
22. Mark Davis £10,450
23. Anthony Hamilton £10,234
24. Gary Wilson £10,032