Sunday 4 December 2016 15:50, UK
Brandon Stone claimed a dominant seven-shot victory at the Alfred Dunhill Championship as defending champion Charl Schwartzel’s hopes capitulated during the final round.
Stone posted a final-round 67 to finish comfortably clear of nearest challenger Richard Sterne, while Schwartzel fell out of contention after dropping six strokes in a four-hole stretch along the back nine.
The threat of afternoon thunderstorms saw tee times brought forward several hours in South Africa, with threeballs playing off a two-tee start.
Schwartzel started the day three strokes off the pace but moved to within one of Stone after beginning his round with back-to-back birdies, before the pair exchanged gains at the par-four sixth.
There was a two-shot swing at the seventh as Schwartzel's wayward tee shot missed the green and Stone rolled in a birdie-two, but the four-time Leopard Creek winner bounced back by picking up a shot at the next.
Stone reached the turn two clear and extended his lead with a chip-in from the bunker at the 10th and another birdie at the 11th, while Schwartzel failed to get up-and-down to save par at the 13th.
As Stone posted another pair of gains from the 13th, Schwartzel's challenge disappeared when he followed a triple-bogey at the 15th by finding the water and double-bogeying the par-five 16th.
Holding a seven-shot lead along the closing stretch, Stone missed a 12-foot par save at the 17th but holed a birdie putt from a couple of feet closer at the last to ease to a second European Tour title.
"The bunker shot at 10 got everything going really," Stone said. "I played solidly over the front nine and it was a pretty calm, relaxed day.
"Obviously I knew I had to try and stay focused. I had set myself a goal for the week and what I wanted to achieve and I managed to do that."
A bogey-free 67 gave Sterne second spot, with Challenge Tour graduate Thomas Detry a further stroke back in third.
Schwartzel birdied the last to close a two-over 73, leaving him in the group tied-fourth that also includes British duo Graeme Storm and Scott Jamieson.
Paul Maddy fired a round-of-the-day 65 to end tied-12th, as top seed Branden Grace carded a one-over 73 to finish the week in a share of 20th.
