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Despite a trying final round, Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa, on Sunday. Larrazábal, 36, shot a closing 3-over-par 75 for an 8-under 280 total at Leopard Creek Country Club and finished one stroke ahead of Sweden’s Joel Sjöholm in a tournament co-sanctioned by the European Tour and South Africa’s Sunshine Tour.
The victory was Larrazábal’s fifth on the European Tour and first since the 2015 BMW International Open.
Larrazábal started the final round three strokes ahead but struggled with foot blisters and swing problems. He made five bogeys, one double bogey and only one birdie on his opening nine holes Sunday. By the turn, he had fallen three strokes behind the leaders, Sjöholm and Wil Besseling of the Netherlands.
“I woke up this morning and I didn’t think I was going to play,” Larrazábal said. “I couldn’t put my shoe on, I couldn’t walk to the buggy. I really struggled on the back nine, I have a big blister on my right toe and I said to myself, ‘If Tiger can win a U.S. Open with a broken leg … ’ and I just fought hard.”
At one point or another on the final nine, Larrazábal, Besseling and Sjöholm each topped the leaderboard.
Sjöholm grabbed the lead on the 14th, but Besseling tied him on the par-5 15th after reaching the green in two and making birdie. But on the 16th hole, Larrazábal rolled in a 15-footer for birdie to make it a three-way tie at the top.
It came down to the final two holes. Larrazábal closed par-birdie to seal victory, while Sjöholm finished par-par for a closing 69. Besseling finished par-bogey for a final-round 74 and finished in a tie for third at 6 under with South Africans Charl Schwartzel (closing 70) and Branden Grace (73). Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, was making his first start since April after being sidelined with a wrist injury.
“It’s been a long road the last few years and this is where I want to be,” Larrazábal said. “I want to thank all my family and my wife. This is a place that I really love and I will come back until I cannot play anymore.
“Being a winner again means so much. I’ve been working hard, I put as many hours in as I’ve put in in my golfing career and this is what for.”
RESULTS | RACE TO DUBAI
Staff and Wire Reports