Dean Burmester made it back-to-back DP World Tour victories on home soil after producing a final round 68 to win the South African Open by three shots.
The South African went into the final round two shots off the lead but battled his way to the top of the leaderboard after making three birdies and a single bogey in tricky scoring conditions on the front nine.
Burmester, who won last week’s Joburg Open by three shots, dropped another shot after missing the green on the par-three 11th but bounced back with gains on the 12th, 16th and 17th to move three clear with one hole remaining.
And he survived a scare at the 18th to card a par there and finish on 11 under par, making an immediate return to the winner’s circle by winning his home Open for the first time and claiming a fourth DP World Tour title.
Home favourite Ryan van Velzen, Italian Renato Paratore and Swede Jesper Svensson finished in a tie for second on eight under.
Burmester had looked in danger of missing the cut or even pulling out after feeling unwell on Friday, but made it through to the weekend on the number after shooting a 74. And he took full advantage with a 65 on Saturday before keeping his foot on the gas in the final round to clinch the title.
He said: “Back-to-back! I’ve never done that before so that was special. It’s obviously one as a South African that I’ve always wanted to win. To be involved in this tournament and to win it, with a bank that used to sponsor me and got me off the ground when I was just a kid, is super special. So to be the SA Open champion is something I’ll never forget. It’s a tournament I watched growing up and I watched a lot of legends.”
