• Grace breaks NGC drought

    Branden Grace
    Grace erupts after his birdie on 16
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    Branden Grace ended a 10-year wait for a South African winner at the Nedbank Golf Challenge after firing a flawless 66 at the Gary Player Country Club, writes WADE PRETORIUS.

    It took 16 holes of swings and roundabouts before Branden Grace roared into the lead on Sunday. For much of the front nine, the South African trailed Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and France’s Victor Dubuisson, despite birdies at the second, fifth and sixth.

    The local crowd continued to provide Grace with vocal assistance as he found greens in regulation, while his driver helped set up a wedge into the eighth.

    He failed to take that chance, and a rare miss off the tee on 9 forced Grace to lay up. Crucially for South African hopes he was not punished, as he saved par, while Jamieson lipped out for birdie to reduce any potential damage.

    Another perfect drive on 10 helped Grace to a birdie, but he failed to make a move on his playing partners, with all three making 4.

    The Fancourt pro missed decent chances to run away with proceedings at 11, 12 and 13 before two-putting for birdie on 14. Dubuisson could only make par after falling short with his approach as Jamieson made birdie, despite finding the sand from the box to become Grace’s closest threat.

    Dubuisson dropped two behind with a three-putt bogey on 15 before drama ensued on the par-3 16th.

    Grace found the centre of the green, but by no means a decent birdie effort, before Jamieson got the break of his life. The Scot, who has won in South Africa before, saw his tee shot fly into the trees before shooting back out just short of the bunker. Short-sided, he produced some magic, but cruelly his ball lipped out with the consolation of par saved.

    Step up Branden Grace, who made the putt of the week as he stormed into the lead with the difficult closing holes to come. The final pairing then played 17 at par. Grace was given the reception of his life when he approached the 18th with his ball safely on the green, and Jamieson unlikely to make a birdie after going long on 18.

    A two-putt for Grace was enough to please an expectant country, who can now celebrate the end of a decade-long wait to follow up on Trevor Immelman’s win.

    Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images

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