Johannesburg: A superb drive from a bunker with a wood set up Jayden Schaper to beat fellow South African Shaun Norris on the first hole of a play-off and win a European Tour event in Johannesburg.
Schaper’s second shot, after a wayward drive on the par five 18th, landed just off the green and he used his putter to claim an eagle and a first victory on the circuit. “That was one of the shots of my career. I had a good angle and a nice lie,” the 24-year-old Johannesburg-born champion told reporters.
Norris, 19 years older than Schaper, applauded the shot by raising his hands and clapping for several minutes. Defending champion Norris, seven shots behind going into the final round of a tournament reduced to 54 holes by flooding on Saturday, also had an eagle chance, but his putt veered well left. Schaper, runner-up at another European event in Sun City last weekend, could have clinched first place on the 18th in regulation play, but found a greenside bunker and two putted for a par.
