Louis Oosthuizen held off compatriot Charl Schwartzel to end a five-year wait for his tenth DP World Tour title at the weather-affected Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Golf Club in South Africa.
After 12 previous appearances, Oosthuizen admitted that this event was one he “really, really wanted” as he closed out a two-stroke victory on Monday with a dramatic par save at the final hole.
The South African, who had been three ahead with three to play, missed a short putt at the 17th and then found the water off the tee at the 18th, which forced him to take a drop and lay up with his third.
On a day of excellent wedge play from the champion, Oosthuizen produced another masterful shot as his ball landed a few feet from the hole, but it rolled back more than 20 feet, leaving him to see in a brilliant, but testing par chance to secure victory in the fifth event of the Opening Swing as playing partner Schwartzel was unable to capitalise.
‘THIS IS THE ONE I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WIN’
“This is one of the tournaments that I’ve always wanted to win,” said Oosthuizen, who, like runner-up Schwartzel has been competing on the LIV Golf League since it started in 2022. “It took me a while. Leopard Creek is always a great place to come back to. I wouldn’t say 18 was kind to me this time, but I got it through it. I wanted to hit a 7-wood on that tee shot, but with all the rain I felt like I needed to hit driver, but obviously made a bad swing. I had a good run there through 13 to 15, and just managed to hold on.”
Christian Bezuidenhout started the final round five strokes back, but birdied three of his first five to enter Monday’s completion just three behind. He played the remaining holes in one under to finish in solo third on 14 under par. Four shots behind him was 2023 Challenge Tour winner Marco Penge, German Matt Schmid and Frenchman Darius Van Driel on ten under.