| -11T Lawrence (Rsa); -8 Z Lonbard (Rsa); -7 S Norris (Rsa); -7 A Chesters (Eng); -6 F LaCroix (Fra); -5 A Hidalgo (Esp), H Du Plessis (Rsa), L Scalise (Ita) |
| Selected others: -4 J Hardling (Rsa); -4 M Kawamura (Jpn); -4 MJ Viljoen (Rsa) |
South African Thriston Lawrence took victory in the Joberg Open after the event was reduced to 36 holes because of Covid-19 and bad weather.
The emergence of the Omicron variant meant the Johannesburg tournament had been hit by withdrawals and retirements as European golfers rushed home from South Africa with travel bans imminent.
Thunderstorms and poor weather meant no more play was possible and the totals were taken from just two rounds.
Lawrence won with a score of 11 under.
It was 24-year-old Lawrence’s first success on the European Tour.
“It’s so surreal,” he said. “I don’t think anyone thought it would turn out this way, to finish on a Saturday afternoon, but I’m just really thankful. It’s a life-changing moment for me.”
Lawrence finished above fellow countrymen Zander Lombard and Shaun Norris.
Lombard finished on eight under, a shot ahead of Norris and England’s Ashley Chesters.
