Richard Sterne won the European Tour's Joburg Open on Sunday after beating fellow South African Garth Mulroy and Sweden's Magnus Carlsson in a sudden-death playoff.
The trio finished the 72 holes of regulation play at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington club with 13-under-par aggregates of 271, Sterne after a 65 which included a brilliant back nine of just 31 strokes, and Carlsson and Mulroy following a pair of 66s.
The players went back to the tee on the par-5 18th and first time round all three birdied the hole, Sterne by finding the green in two -- his glorious second shot hit from a fairway bunker -- while the other two players found the rough with their tee-shots, recovered to the fairway with their approaches, and then pitched and putted for their fours.
Playing the 18th for the second time, Sterne split the fairway with a magnificent drive, found the green in two and two-putted for birdie and the first European Tour title of the year was his as the other two players could only make pars for a share of second place.
"I quite enjoyed it to be honest, and hit some great shots under pressure," said 26-year-old Sterne, who has now won three times on the European Tour following his Madrid Open victory in 2004 and his Wales Open win last year.
"I've still got a lot to learn but this is a great way to start the year. I'm in the Masters at Augusta for the first time this year, which should be a lot of fun.
"I'm gaining in confidence all the time but I'm taking two weeks off now and my next event's probably going to be Dubai [the Desert Classic]," he said.
Currently ranked 44th in the world, he will now enter the 30s and looks destined for a promising career as he strives to emulate countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, who have captured five Majors between them.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, on the comeback trail after his game went sour following the death of his wife Heather from cancer in August 2006, impressed to finish fourth on 273 following a 68.
The 39-year-old Ryder Cup star tied for third -- with Mulroy -- in his last start before this one, the South African Open, so his game does look to be firmly back on track.
South Africa's overnight leader Mark Murless faded to a final round 73 to drop back into a tie for fifth on 275 with 48-year-old compatriot Chris Williams and Louis Moolman, a young local professional playing in his very first event in the paid ranks.
Another rookie, Tyrone Ferreira, was eighth on 276 while defending champion Ariel Canete of Argentina closed with a 67 to share ninth place with, among others, Germany's Sven Struver.
Struver was in contention through nine holes but stumbled on the par-35 inward loop which he played in 38 strokes to lose momentum on his way to a disappointing 73 on the long, par-71 East course.
Spain's Challenge Tour graduate Pablo Larrazabal, who was only two off the pace at the start of the final round, also faded on Sunday with a 75.
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