Golf-Home favourite Otto survives tense finish to win

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

KEMPTON PARK, South Africa, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Home-town

favourite Hennie Otto survived a nerve-racking last few holes to

win the South African Open by one stroke at the Serengeti Golf

Estate on Sunday.

Otto frittered away a three-shot overnight lead with three

bogeys in four holes between the 13th and 16th holes as

Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger threatened to become only the eighth

non-Southern African winner of the second-oldest national open

in the sport.

Wiesberger, who began the day five strokes behind Otto, gave

himself a chance by going out in three-under-par 33, to move to

within three shots of the South African. However, the

24-year-old Austrian could only claim two birdies, offset by a

bogey on the par-four 13th hole.

Otto sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the 343-yard penultimate

hole, after driving over the green, and then two-putted on the

last to finish his round on level-par 72 and a 14-under-par

total of 274.

The 35-year-old Otto, whose previous European Tour win was

at the 2008 Italian Open, won 158,500 euro and will play in the

lucrative season-ending Dubai World Championship, having moved

to 56th on the money list.

(Editing by Clare Fallon. To comment on this story email

sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

((clare.fallon@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 7933; Reuters

Messaging: clare.fallon.reuters.com@reuters.net)

Please double-click on the newslink:

for more golf

UPDATE 1-Golf-Home-town boy Otto survives nervy finish

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

(Writes through)

* Otto lands second European Tour title

* Austrian Wiesberger finishes second

KEMPTON PARK, South Africa, Nov 27 (Reuters) -

Home-town favourite Hennie Otto survived a nerve-wracking

finale to win the South African Open by one stroke at the

Serengeti Golf Estate on Sunday.

Otto frittered away a three-shot overnight lead with three

bogeys between the 13th and 16th holes as Austria’s Bernd

Wiesberger mounted a charge.

Wiesberger, who began the day five strokes behind, went out

in 33 to move within three of the South African but could only

claim two birdies on the back nine as he finished second.

Otto sank a 10-foot birdie putt for a three on the

penultimate hole, after driving over the green, and two-putted

the last to close with a level-par 72 and a 14-under total of

274.

“Any win is good but especially this one. It’s our national

open and you see the names on that cup and your name there too,

I’m proud,” Otto told reporters after picking up his second

European Tour title.

“I hit just one bad shot, when I pushed my drive into the

bunker on 13, but I was pumped up. Maybe I tried to force a few

shots and some of them went further than I thought they would.”

Victory for the 35-year-old Otto, who also won the 2008

Italian Open, means he has qualified for the lucrative

season-ending Dubai World Championship in two weeks’ time.

Thomas Aiken returned a 72 to share third place with fellow

South African Ockie Strydom (69) and Briton Richard McEvoy (68)

on 277.

Five-times champion Ernie Els crashed to a seven-over 79 for

293, tied for 69th spot.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)