Dean Burmester achieved his second consecutive victory on the DP World Tour with a three-shot win at the South African Open, despite struggling with a short-term virus and initially appearing to be in a hopeless position.
At Glance
‣ Dean Burmester secured his second victory in two weeks on the DP World Tour with a three-shot success at the South African Open.
‣ Despite struggling with a short-term virus and barely making the cut, Burmester managed to move from two-under at the start of Saturday’s round to 11-under by the end of Sunday.
‣ This victory was particularly special for Burmester as it was in front of his family and at a tournament sponsored by a bank that supported him early in his career.
‣ The DP World Tour will continue in South Africa for the penultimate event of the calendar year next week – the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Golf Club in Malelane.
It's two wins in two weeks for Dean Burmester 🏆🏆#InvestecSAOpen
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour)
Dean Burmester is on a roll. He’s just scored his second victory in two weeks on the DP World Tour. This time, he triumphed at the South African Open by three shots.
The LIV Golfer had already secured his spot for the 152nd Open. He did so with a three-stroke win at the recent Joburg Open. And boy, did he keep that winning streak alive!
Friday afternoon looked grim for Burmester. He was at Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate in Johannesburg, struggling to make the cut. Despite shooting a 74 and battling a short-term virus, he made it to the weekend on the number.
Burmester, a member of the Stinger GC, started Saturday’s round at two-under. By the end of Sunday’s action, he was at 11-under. This impressive leap gave him the chance to lift a title previously won 13 times by the legendary Gary Player.
“Back-to-back! I’ve never done that before so that was special,” Burmester said post-round. He added, “It’s obviously one as a South African that I’ve always wanted to win. The second-oldest [Open Championship], there’s only one more that’s older than that which I just happened to get into last week. Who knows what happens next.”
The 34-year-old golfer entered the final round a couple behind. But he was two under for the day to lead at the turn. The brutal scoring conditions on the longest course on Tour caused others to struggle.
Burmester bogeyed 11 but secured birdies on 12, 16, and 17. This gave him a three-stroke buffer going into the last. A couple of clumsy shots threatened to ruin his history-making effort. But a lucky bounce off a rock from his approach to the green ended on dry land. This helped Burmester finish with a par five and lift his fourth DP World Tour title.
Burmester’s second victory in two weeks was extra special. His family was there to witness it. “Last week I won and my family wasn’t there. This week I won and my wife and my two kids were there. So it means everything, just to have my two boys there seeing me out front, living out my dream – that’s everything so I’m very thankful.”
Ryan van Velzen, Renato Paratore, and Jesper Svensson tied for second place on eight under. The DP World Tour will stay in South Africa for the penultimate event of the calendar year next week – the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Golf Club in Malelane.
