South African Shaun Norris recovered thirteen positions in the final round and won with 275 (67 70 71 67, -13) shots the Alfred Dunhill Championship, a tournament organized by the DP World Tour, in collaboration with the Sunshine Tour, on the Leopard Creek CC course (par 72) in Malelane in South Africa, where Andrea Pavan, making his debut in the new season, ranked 24th with 283 (67 69 76 71, -5).
Alfred Dunhill Championship, results
Norris surpassed by one shot, second with 276 (-12), his compatriot Ryan Van Velzen, the Englishman John Parry and the Swede Marcus Kinhult, leader in the two central rounds and who gave up with a 74 (+2). In fifth place with 277 (-11) the Dutchman Darius Van Driel and the young Spaniard Angel Ayora, at his second top ten in the last three participations, and in seventh with 278 (-10) the Frenchman Martin Couvra, the South African Keenan Davidse and the Englishmen Dale Whitnell and Andy Sullivan. In 15th place with 280 (-8) the other South African Charl Schwartzel, member of LIV Golf, recordman of successes in the event with four and among the favorites of the eve.
Norris, 42 years old from Johannesburg who was giving six strokes to Kinhult after 54 holes, made a 67 (-5) with an eagle, five birdies and a double bogey and arrived at the clubhouse earlier than Van Velzen with whom he shared the lead. He was ready for a playoff, which he was preparing on the practice field, when his opponent left him the title with a bogey on the last green where he sent the ball into the water with the second shot. Norris signed the second victory on the DP World Tour, after the other in the Steyn City Championship (2022), also this one in South Africa in an event organized with the Sunshine Tour. In his palmarès also seven successes on the Japan Tour, two on the Asian Tour and two on the home circuit, excluding those in the combined. He was rewarded with a check for 255,000 euros on a prize pool of 1,500,000 euros.
Andrea Pavan made a good start with second place after two rounds, but in the third he lost ground for an unexpected 76 (+4) and then recovered four positions with a 71 (-1, four birdies, three bogeys) in closing. Francesco Laporta, 67th with 144 (73 71, par), was eliminated at the cut, as was the South African Louis Oosthuizen, also in the Arab Super League and the defending champion, who suffered the same fate and score.
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