By Ken Borland
GEORGE, South Africa Jan 22 (Reuters) – South African
Branden Grace beat compatriots Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a
playoff after they had each finished on 12-under-par to claim
the Volvo World Champions title at the Fancourt Links on Sunday.
Grace birdied the 18th hole in a sudden death playoff to
claim back-to-back European Tour titles, beating Els and Goosen
by one stroke at the par-five closing hole.
The 23-year-old South African must have thought he had
wrapped up the win in regulation play as he stood over a
four-foot putt for birdie on the 18th, but he shovelled the
short putt horribly wide to force him into a playoff with his
two seasoned compatriots.
Els’s tee shot on the sudden death hole was down the left
and ran through the fairway into the rough, putting him under
immediate pressure.
The three-times major champion hacked out on to the fairway
and then hit a superb long-iron third shot that ended 15 feet
from the hole. Els’s birdie putt was just wide.
Goosen hit his drive down the middle of a fairway and his
second on to a bank just right of the green, but his hopes were
ended by an awful chip that finished 25 feet short of the flag.
Grace hit a three-wood from the fairway on to the green and
an excellent first putt ensured that he had another little
four-footer for the win.
Nicolas Colsaerts had a three-foot putt for par on the 72nd
hole of regulation play for a place in the playoff, but the
Belgian rushed it past the hole.
Continued…
