Max Homa capped off a memorable African journey by securing his first worldwide title on the Nedbank Golf Problem.
The American posted a closing six beneath par spherical of 66 to say a four-stroke victory on 19 beneath par at ‘Africa’s Main’ and style victory outdoors the US for the primary time, with fellow Ryder Cup participant Nicolai Højgaard his closest challenger on 15 beneath.
Homa, making his debut at Gary Participant Nation Membership, started what he described as a life-changing journey final week as he was joined by two-time Main winner Justin Thomas and their wives on safari in South Africa, earlier than travelling to Solar Metropolis for per week which has in the end led to success.
The 32-year-old was three beneath by means of six holes of the ultimate spherical earlier than a surprising eagle on the par 5 ninth despatched the Solar Metropolis crowds into raptures. After discovering the tough to the correct of the green, Homa hit a crisp three iron 240 yards to 18 toes earlier than rolling within the putt to make the flip in 31.
The six-time PGA TOUR winner dropped his second shot of the day – and solely third of the week – on the par 4 eleventh earlier than back-to-back birdies on the fifteenth and sixteenth opened the benefit and allowed him to benefit from the stroll to victory down the ultimate two holes.
Homa turns into the fifth American winner of ‘Africa’s Main’ and first for 17 years since Jim Furyk’s second triumph in Solar Metropolis in 2006.
Højgaard’s solo second place means he jumps 24 locations on the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex to tenth, which means he’s at present projected to safe one of many ten PGA TOUR playing cards on supply to gamers not in any other case exempt.
Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen, who for lengthy spells stored tempo with Homa earlier than a double bogey on the seventeenth ended his probabilities of glory, completed third on 14 beneath to climb one spot to sixth on the Race to Dubai, whereas American Thomas completed his week in type with a six beneath 66 to complete fourth on 12 beneath.
Englishman Dan Bradbury rounded out the highest 5 on 11 beneath to securely safe passage to subsequent week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, the place the highest 50 accessible gamers on the Race to Dubai will tee it up.
With ends in South Africa, Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy has been confirmed because the winner of the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex. The four-time Main winner, who has two Rolex Sequence titles in 2023 with triumphs on the Hero Dubai Desert Traditional and the Genesis Scottish Open, has an unassailable lead on the prime of the Rankings with one occasion to go and can be topped Europe’s Quantity One for the fifth time in Dubai subsequent week.
Participant quotes
Max Homa: “It’s been a dream ten or 11 days. It was a loopy day, I acquired off to such an important begin and Thorbjørn was simply enjoying unbelievable and stored pushing us alongside. Nicolai was enjoying phenomenal golf so it was enjoyable. It’s what you dream of, you wish to be within the combat and it was enjoyable to shut it out on the finish.
“It’s been great to get to journey to a brand new place, meet so many superb folks, the followers have been superb, everybody’s been so welcoming and sort, my spouse Lacey, ‘hello Lacey, hello Cam’, she was right here for a couple of days and we completely liked it. To be granted the chance to even be right here, I used to be really grateful for however to return out with a trophy is simply the cherry on prime.
“It’s particular. It’s been a particular week. I actually imagine even when I got here up quick right now, this is likely one of the extra memorable weeks I’ve ever had. The safari final week with JT and Jill and my spouse Lacey, I simply don’t know the right way to put it into phrases so to return out the following week and put the cherry on prime was particular. All of the vibes had been good this week.
“I simply can’t actually recover from that I can come the world over, round folks I’ve by no means met and be this type and welcoming. It was all week, however particularly strolling onto 18 was further particular and I simply have to offer a lot credit score to this nation and the standard of individuals. I’m amazed and really grateful.
“I’ve at all times wished to do that however we’ve by no means had the chance. It’s at all times troublesome to complete the season on the PGA TOUR, get per week or two off, begin our season again up after which fly all the way in which over right here after which come again and play once more. To have an off season, I’ve been licking my chops on the alternative, only for the expertise. I’ve wished to play right here, I’ve wished to play in Spain, I’ve wished to play the BMW, I’ve wished to play in Australia, I’ve wished to expertise what this recreation has to supply and to have the chance to get an invitation to play right here, I used to be very grateful for that. Every thing about it, win, lose or draw, I used to be going to understand this expertise.”
Remaining scores:
269 M HOMA (USA) 66 68 69 66,
273 N HOJGAARD (DEN) 66 70 69 68,
274 T OLESEN (DEN) 70 66 69 69,
276 J THOMAS (USA) 72 66 72 66,
277 D BRADBURY (ENG) 66 69 71 71,
278 H DU PLESSIS (RSA) 70 67 74 67, R HOJGAARD (DEN) 69 71 71 67, S S?DERBERG (SWE) 68 70 70 70,
279 R HISATSUNE (JPN) 67 72 68 72,
280 A RAI (ENG) 69 72 70 69, A BJ?RK (SWE) 70 71 69 70,
281 J SMITH (ENG) 72 68 70 71, T FLEETWOOD (ENG) 71 67 71 72, J CAMPILLO (ESP) 69 71 69 72,
282 M WALLACE (ENG) 71 67 77 67, V NORRMAN (SWE) 66 72 73 71, Y PAUL (GER) 72 69 69 72, A MERONK (POL) 67 75 68 72, M PAVON (FRA) 68 66 70 78,
283 J GUERRIER (FRA) 67 71 74 71, S CROCKER (USA) 71 71 70 71, M SIEM (GER) 71 68 72 72, E FERGUSON (SCO) 70 72 68 73,
284 T LAWRENCE (RSA) 71 73 71 69, S FORSSTR?M (SWE) 74 71 72 67,
285 S V?LIM?KI (FIN) 71 72 73 69, J DANTORP (SWE) 70 70 76 69, M SOUTHGATE (ENG) 70 71 72 72, M ARMITAGE (ENG) 73 71 74 67, M BALDWIN (ENG) 70 74 67 74,
286 N KIMSEY (ENG) 72 72 71 71, J WINTHER (DEN) 68 73 76 69,
287 A OTAEGUI (ESP) 70 74 72 71, D HILLIER (NZL) 72 68 76 71, V PEREZ (FRA) 69 70 75 73, T MCKIBBIN (NIR) 70 72 71 74,
288 R RAMSAY (SCO) 68 69 76 75,
289 M KIEFFER (GER) 71 71 71 76,
290 G FORREST (SCO) 73 69 74 74, M JORDAN (ENG) 69 69 79 73, J LUITEN (NED) 70 75 75 70, J SCRIVENER (AUS) 71 74 76 69,
291 B GRACE (RSA) 72 70 74 75, J BRUN (FRA) 71 71 73 76, C SYME (SCO) 70 69 78 74, R MANSELL (ENG) 71 70 77 73, N BACHEM (GER) 71 75 72 73, N ELVIRA (ESP) 74 72 73 72, L DE JAGER (RSA) 76 71 72 72, P LARRAZ?BAL (ESP) 73 75 72 71,
292 R FOX (NZL) 69 76 70 77, T CLEMENTS (ENG) 71 74 74 73, A ROZNER (FRA) 74 73 74 71, J ROSE (ENG) 74 70 78 70,
293 Z LOMBARD (RSA) 76 72 72 73, C HILL (SCO) 72 75 75 71, M HELLIGKILDE (DEN) 78 72 72 71,
294 R MACINTYRE (SCO) 78 70 73 73,
295 S SHARMA (IND) 68 76 78 73,
297 F MOLINARI (ITA) 68 73 77 79, C SHINKWIN (ENG) 74 76 72 75,
302 O STRYDOM (RSA) 75 74 75 78, R LANGASQUE (FRA) 80 72 72 78,
303 D BROWN (ENG) 72 85 77 69,
307 D WHITNELL (ENG) 74 75 79 79,
312 H LONG (GER) 83 76 79 74,
