Bezuidenhout dwuinns Ahlfirledl ChAmpionship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa shot a final round 69 to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil and move up 12 places to ninth in the 2020 Race to Dubai. The 26-year-old Bezuidenhout started the final round three shots behind Poland’s Adrian Meronk, who was at the top of the leader board after three rounds.
Others all around Bezuidenhout seemed to implode over the last few holes of the final round on the challenging Leopard Creek course in a stiffening breeze that dried out the course, giving him a four-shot victory at 14 under-par that always looked a lot closer until the final putt.
Round of the day was from Robert MacIntyre. The Scotsman with a five under par 67 with six birdies, one bogey round moves up six places in the Race to Dubai upto 22nd spot with his tied 6th place.
Those flying straight to Dubai from South Africa for the Golf in Dubai Championship include Scott Crocker of the US, MacIntyre, Alex Levy of France, Marcus Armitage of England and Dubai resident Adri Arnaus (Spain) who all finished tied 6th or better.
Those to move up on the Race to Dubai Rankings following and committed to play in the Golf in Dubai Championship include Crocker up 32 places to 60, Armitage and Arnaus up six places each to lie 51 and 52 and Dubai resident Adrian Otaegui (Spain) moves up two to 28th in the season long Order of Merit table.
Bezuidenhout’s previous victory on the European Tour came in the 2019 Estrella Damm NA Andalucia Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation at Valderrama in Spain as well as a victory in the 2020 Dimension Data Pro-Am on the Challenge Tour at Fancourt Golf Estate with a remarkable four rounds of 61, 67, 69 and 67 (-25) to win by just a shot from fellow South African George Coetzee.
Other previous notable achievements by the champion include a tied first, play-off loss in the 2020 OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club to Lucas Herbert (Aus), losing at the second extra hole.
Bezuidenhout now stays at home to play in next week’s South African Open and then will travel to Dubai for the season ending event on the 2020 Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai to be held on Earth course (December 10 to December 14).
Those in contention this last week staying alongside Bezuidenhout for the South African Open include Richard Bland of England and Scott Jamieson of Scotland.
The South African Open will be played at the Gary Player CC, Sun City, from December 3 to December 6 with a prizefund of ZAR 19,500,000.