John Bickerton struggled to hide his disbelief as he celebrated a third European Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
Englishman shocked by Els' late meltdown at Leopard Creek
John Bickerton struggled to hide his disbelief as he celebrated an unexpected third European Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The 37-year-old Englishman was handed the title at Leopard Creek on Sunday as home favourite Ernie Els made a triple-bogey eight on the final hole to blow his two-shot lead.
Els had looked on course to become only the fourth player - behind Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Nick Faldo - to win a European Tour event outside the majors and world championships on four separate occasions as he stood on the 72nd tee with a clear advantage.
However, the three-time major champion dumped his second to the 541-yard par-five into the water and then looked on in disbelief as his next attempt bounced through the green and back into the drink.
Ultimately he was able to do no better than eight leaving an unsuspecting Bickerton to walk away with the spoils.
The Englishman revealed afterwards he was harbouring no thoughts of victory as he went to sign his final-round card, but was nevertheless delighted with his somewhat bizarre success.
Playing for second
"I saw Ernie, I think he was at 15 or 16 under at one stage, and I thought 'well, let's just try and play for second spot'," Bickerton explained. "And you know, just tie myself together nicely.
"I felt quite comfortable during the week and I thought I had a chance to finish second alone.
"But it all went, obviously, pear-shaped for Ernie and that's the way the cookie crumbles as they say. It's a shocker, but great."
Indeed, he insisted he was completely unaware of Els' travails at the last adding: "I was giving the balls and clubs to the kids, and went to sign my scorecard to the stats, and then came out and thought nothing of it.
"I thought I had a chance to finish in second, and if Lee birdied the last I was tied second and that's what I thought. But like I said, that's golf.
"And then the next thing it's five minutes later and we're doing this."
Symapthy for Els
Bickerton did share a brief conversation with Els after the South African's meltdown and admitted to feeling sympathy for his rival, but backed him to bounce back from the disappointment.
"I know Ernie well and played with him before. I just shook his hand, what more can you say, you know the guy is hurting," he added.
"You almost feel bad yourself but, you know, you've got to enjoy it.
"Ernie's won a lot, and he'll win a lot more. Like I said things like that had happened before, and they'll happen again."
