26-year-old local man Tim Clark became the first qualifier to win the South African Open after he carded a brilliant eight-birdie 65 for a 19-under-par total of 269 at the Durban Country Club today. Clark was miffed last week when told he had to pre-qualify for the event, but in the end he cast aside the challenge of the likes of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, both ranked in the world's top ten, to take the title by two shots.
US Open champion Goosen carded a final round 70 to finish down the leaderboard on 276, while Els returned a 69 to finish a further three shots adrift. Clark's finish ahead of England's Steve Webster earned him €128,600 in prize money and a two-year exemption on the European Tour.
Clark missed almost the whole of the last season in the United States because of an injured wrist, and would have lost his card on the US PGA Tour had he not been given a medical exemption. Prior to the South African Open, Clark did not have playing privileges for the European Tour.
England's Jonathan Lomas shot 69 for 275 to tie for third with South Africa's James Kingston. Welshman David Park also had a 64, with an inward loop of just 31 strokes, to share fifth place with England's Simon Dyson, Scotland's Alastair Forsyth and Goosen.
Ireland's Michael Hoey finished well down the field in joint 52nd, after completing the tournament on a one over par 289 following a fourth round of 69 today, his best of the weekend.
Filed by Shane Murray
