Grace All Class In Banking Nedbank Success & Fourth Tour Title On Home Soil.

Branden Grace displayed all his class and winning experience producing a bogey-free final round 66 for a one-stroke victory in the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City, South Africa.

The 29-old South African delighted a huge last day crowd with a bogey-free display and capture an eighth European Tour title with an 11-under par tally.

The win in Grace’s eighth European Tour success and with half now on home soil.

Grace went into the round trailing three shots off the lead before making it a three-way tie for the lead with a birdie at the 14th and then breaking clear in sinking a 40-footer for birdie at 16.

Branden Grace all class in capturing Nedbank Championship. (Image – European Tour)

Grace then displayed all his class and experience to calmly par the closing two holes and seal the Euro 1.069m first prize cheque.

“This is awesome,” Grace said.

“This is the one event that as a South African you want to win. It’s Africa’s Major for a reason and what a special place it is. There’s a lot of history and a lot of great winners on the trophy and I’m very glad to be able to put my name on the trophy, as well.”

The win was all the more special as Grace’s caddy, Zach Rasego had also caddied as a teenager on the Gary Player designed course.

Grace was then met after his round by countryman Louis Oosthuizen, Darren Fichardt and Charl Schwartzel who showered him with champagne.

The win lifted Grace to ninth of the Race to Dubai points table and effectively bumping the side-lined Rory McIlroy outside of the top-10m to effectively ensure McIlroy will end the year outside the leading 10 for a first occasion in four years.

Victory will also see Grace move from 44th to 30th on the World Rankings.

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson (70) was second at 10-under par and with Frenchman Victor Dubuisson (70) third on nine-under par.

Jamieson went into the last day leading and looking for just a second Tour victory since his 2012 Nelson Mandela Championship triumph in Durban.

The Scot got the start he wanted with birdies at the second and sixth hole but had his progress checked in finding a bunker at eight in taking a double bogey that handed Dubuisson the lead.

Dubuisson, however, then found himself in a three-way tie for the lead on nine-under par when Jamieson and also Grace birdied the par five, 14th hole.

Jamieson then played a wild tee shot than cannoned off the spectator enclosure at the par three 16th and with his birdie chip-hot actually finding the hole but bouncing out.

Moments later, Grace broke the deadlock in holing his long birdie putt at the same hole and the fifth birdie of his round.

Jamieson’s effort earned him Euro 712, 831 and easily the biggest pay cheque of his career and also has seen the 33-year ensure his place in this week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship moving from 75th to 23rd on the Race to Dubai.

“I’m disappointed as I got off to a nice start and things were looking good but just had a little blip on No. 8,” he said.

“Branden got off to a fast start and all three of us were going along nicely there but then on 16, perhaps if my chip had gone in, it might have been a different store.

“I came here this week to qualify for DP World and knowing I needed top eight or something to do that so second’s pretty good.”

England’s Tommy Fleetwood’s last day 71 for a share of 10th place at three-under will now ensure the Race to Dubai No. 1 title will be decided at Thursday’s start to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.



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