Henrik Stenson held on to his three shot overnight lead to win the European Tour's South African Open yesterday and end a three-year wait for a tournament title.
The Swede finished with a one-under par 71 for a 17-under total of 271 and his first victory since the 2009 Players Championship. It was also Stenson's first win on the European Tour in five years.
"2011 was a tough year with not much good going on on the course for me," Stenson said. "I felt I was getting closer and closer and obviously I'm delighted to get a win before the end of the year."
George Coetzee was second on 14 under after the South African's challenge never really got going in the final round.
Having put himself in contention for a maiden European title with a course record 63 on Saturday, Coetzee made an eagle the par-five third yesterday. But he could only manage two more birdies and had three bogeys for a 71.
Stenson carded four birdies, enough for a long-awaited victory despite a wobble midway through his round, when he made bogey on the sixth and a double-bogey five on the short ninth.
He is only the second foreign player to win the South African Open in the last decade and sealed his place at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship Dubai after entering this tournament at No 59 on the money list. The top 60 go to Dubai this week.
Miguel Angel Jimenez, 48, became the oldest European Tour winner yesterday by shooting a five-under par 65 to capture his third Hong Kong Open title.
Jimenez earned his 19th tour victory by making four successive birdies from the seventh hole in his third consecutive bogey-free round to finish with a 15-under total of 265 on the Fanling course.
He was one shot ahead of Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden, who closed with a bogey-free 64.
* Agencies
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