South African Hennie Otto bounced back from a back-nine meltdown to win the South African Open by a shot from Bernd Wiesberger.
Els slumps to a closing 79 as Goosen also disappoints
South African Hennie Otto bounced back from a back-nine meltdown to win the South African Open by a shot from Bernd Wiesberger.
Otto - who led by three shots overnight - dropped shots at 13, 15 and 16 to surrender the outright lead, but hit back with a birdie at 17 after firing his second shot to six feet and then made par at the last for a level par 72.
The 35-year-old from Boksburg won his second European Tour title after his success at the Italian Open in 2008. The €158,500 winner's cheque moves him into the Race to Dubai's top 60 and a place in the season-ending championship in the Emirate in two weeks' time.
Austrian Wiesberger made his final-round charge with five birdies and a bogey in a 4-under 68 at the Serengeti course but ultimately had to settle for second.
Retief Goosen's expected final-day challenge failed to materialise as he closed with a 73 for a share of sixth place on 10-under, while defending champion Ernie Els had three double bogeys in his 79 to crash to a tie for 69th.
A relieved Otto - who had not had a top-five finish since that Italian Open success more than three years ago - told Sky Sports: "I worked out that if I shot four under (68) they would have to shoot seven under. It didn't work out that way.
Great names
"There are some great names on the trophy and I said it would be great if I could add mine. Today's the day."
He is the sixth South African to win on the European circuit this season, following Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel (2), Thomas Aiken and Garth Mulroy.
For Wiesberger, who did close with a 68, it was a second runners-up finish of the year. He was in the five-man play-off won by Thomas Bjorn at the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland in August.
Joint third were Aiken, compatriot Ockie Strydom and England's Richard McEvoy after he too carded a 68 - a performance that earns him a Tour card for next season after he came into the week 121st on the money list, three places outside the cut-off mark, and moved all the way up to 107th.
Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin, on the other hand, slipped from 118th to 120th after finishing well down the field, but he does still have the Hong Kong Open to come this week.
Steven O'Hara, who led at halfway and needed a top-three finish to save his card, fell away to 25th and fellow Scot Lloyd Saltman faces a return to the qualifying school as well after a double bogey six on the last dropped him to ninth.
If the former amateur star had parred the hole he would have been joint third and would have earned a spot in Hong Kong. His closing 70 included eight birdies, but also a bogey six on the long third and a triple bogey six at the ninth.
