Burmester blasts away from pack

Dean Burmester carded a brilliant bogey-free 62 to claim his first win in four years at golf’s Tenerife Open.

The big-hitting South African had entered the final round one shot off the lead but soon hit the front and the chasing pack could not keep pace as he made nine birdies to get to 25 under and win by five shots.

German Nicolai von Dellingshausen was the nearest competition, a shot clear of Poland’s Adrian Meronk and Finn Kalle Samooja.

But none of them truly threatened Burmester down the stretch as the 31-year-old used his length to birdie four of the five par-fives while looking assured on the greens.

“I’d obviously love to get in that top 100 in the world, it’s quite lucrative, a lot of things happen when you get into that top 100, so if I can get back there I’ll be very excited,” said Burmester, who could break into the top 100 when the rankings are next released.

“Hopefully I can go from strength to strength now and that’ll be my plan, I won’t stop working hard and trying to get better.”

Burmester birdied the first and second but failed to take advantage of the par-five third after hitting a perfect drive and then missed a short putt for birdie on the fourth as Samooja looked to be the man to catch.

But a hat-trick of gains from the fifth and a clutch putt for par on the ninth assured he led at the turn before he made the most of the par-five 11th and 13th.

An approach to four feet at the 15th extended his lead to five and fist bumps with caddie Jason Reynolds were shared up the 18th fairway before making a final birdie of the day.

Von Dellingshausen eagled the last in a 68, while Meronk carded a 67 and Samooja finished with a 69.

Welshman Jamie Donaldson finished 10 shots off the lead after a 65, two ahead of Scottish pair Scott Jamieson and Richie Ramsay, with England’s Paul Waring at 12 under.

Ramsay completed his campaign with a fourunder 67 while Jamieson carded a closing 70.

Scot Grant Forrest had a superb 64 to finish to push him up to 11 under and 33rd place, but his Saturday 75 cost him a far larger cheque.

● On the Challenge Tour in South Africa, Scot Ewen Ferguson was just a shot out of a play-off in the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open after two 67s on the weekend.

The host nation’s JC Ritchie won from countryman Jacques Blaauw with a birdie on the first extra hole.