Burmester wins in Joburg as Lawrence has final round to forget
Min Woo Lee celebrates victory with the Kirkwood Cup after victory in the 2023 Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
South Africa's Dean Burmester carded a superb closing 64 to win the Joburg Open as overnight leader Thriston Lawrence suffered a costly collapse.
Burmester began the day three shots off the pace but took the lead with the first of his six birdies on the fifth as Lawrence made a nightmare start at Houghton Golf Club.
Lawrence ran up a double bogey on the second and dropped shots on the third and fifth on his way to a final round of 75, which dropped him into a tie for seventh.
Burmester's bogey-free 64 saw him finish on 18 under par, three shots ahead of compatriot Darren Fichardt, with defending champion Dan Bradbury another two strokes behind.
Fichardt and Bradbury also shot 64 to join Burmester in securing the three places available in next year's Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Meanwhile, Min Woo Lee overcame a nervy start to win his third DP World Tour title with a three-shot victory at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.
The 25-year-old Aussie's three-stroke overnight lead evaporated in the first two holes at Royal Brisbane after a bogey-par start saw Japan's Rikuya Hoshino draw level on 16 under after two opening birdies.
But Lee's three birdies in four holes from the fourth - where he came within 18 inches of a hole in one after Joaquin Niemann had earlier aced the hole on his way to a fifth-placed finish - restored his advantage after his partner played that stretch in level par.
A 55-yard chip-in eagle at the ninth put him four ahead at the turn and despite a scrappy back nine of three bogeys and two birdies Hoshino could not take advantage as he closed with seven successive pars to finish 17 under.
On the Ladies European Tour, India's Aditi Ashok claimed her second victory of the season in the Open de Espana as Thailand's Trichat Cheenglab won the Race to Costa del Sol title.
Ashok carded a closing 66 at Real Club de Golf Las Brisas to finish 17 under par, two shots clear of Holland's Anne van Dam.
"It was a great battle," Ashok said.
"Anne, when she's playing good, she can blow the field away and win by five to 10 shots. I knew I had to not stop making birdies and to keep trying. She is a great player and kept me honest out there."
Cheenglab could only finish in a tie for 55th after a closing 74, but that proved enough to finish top of the money list by less than 100 points ahead of Evian Championship winner Celine Boutier.
The 28-year-old is the sixth player to win both the Race to Costa del Sol and Rookie of the Year titles in the same season on the Ladies European Tour.
