Christiaan Bezuidenhout hails ‘unreal’ South African Open win after tour double

Christiaan Bezuidenhout overcame a slow start to secure back-to-back European Tour titles on home soil with a commanding victory in the South African Open at Sun City.

Bezuidenhout, who won the Alfred Dunhill Championship seven days ago, carded a closing 69 at Gary Player Country Club to finish 18 under par, five shots clear of Welshman Jamie Donaldson.

The 26-year-old took a five-shot lead into the final round, but followed seven straight pars with a bogey on the eighth after finding the water with his approach.

With Donaldson covering the same stretch in two under the gap was briefly down to two shots, only for the former Ryder Cup star to bogey the ninth in the group ahead.

Bezuidenhout got up and down from a greenside bunker to save par on the same hole and then made the ideal start to the back nine with a hat-trick of birdies from the 10th.

Donaldson, whose last victory came on the Asian Tour five years ago, refused to throw in the towel and birdied the 11th, 14th and 16th, but bogeyed the 17th moments after Bezuidenhout had birdied the 16th.

“It’s unbelievable to stand here with the SA Open win,” Bezuidenhout told Sky Sports.

“It’s any South African golfer’s dream to win it, their national tournament. It’s unreal.

“I’ve worked hard today. The front nine didn’t really go my way but I dug deep to come out with the win.”