Golf - Dubai Desert Classic 2025 - Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - January 19, 2025 Scotland's Calum Hill in action during the final round REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
(Reuters) - Scotland’s Calum Hill won a three-man playoff to take the Joburg Open at Houghton Golf Club on Sunday, defeating local favourites Jacques Kruyswijk and Shaun Norris in dramatic fashion.
Hill putted in for a par on the second extra hole and then watched as Kruyswijk missed a short put to hand him the title.
"It was a fantastic day and then a cherry on top," said Hill, after a final-round 62 saw him bound up the leaderboard and go into the clubhouse in the lead as the last pairings came in.
Kruyswijk birdied the 17th to join Hill on 14 under par and a spectacular put from overnight leader Norris on the 18th also earned him a place in the playoff.
Norris had a four-shot lead going into the last round but fell two off the pace midway through the back nine, before recovering to sink birdies on the last two holes and get into the playoff.
Kruyswijk carded 66 in his final round, but it was Hill who blitzed through the field with the best round of the tournament for a four-round total of 266.
The 30-year-oild Scot started the last day eight shots behind the leader but 10 birdies helped him into the playoff before he clinched his second title on the DP World Tour after the Cazzo Classic in 2021.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town, editing by Ed Osmond)
