Round 4 - Maiden win for Chris Paisley in SA Open

January 14, 2018

Chris Paisley of England defied the odds near Johannesburg on Sunday to win the South African Open, his maiden European Tour triumph, then hailed his wife for her starring role as his caddie.

The 31-year-old carded a six-birdie final-round 66 at sun-drenched Glendower Golf Club for a total of 267 and a three-stroke victory over Branden Grace of South Africa, who closed with a 68.

It was the first tournament in which Paisley had his bag carried by wife Keri, and he praised her during the prize-giving ceremony.

"Unbelievable! I just cannot say enough about how good a job she did this week," said the golfer whose only previous professional win was in the second-tier European Challenge six years ago.

"She never put a foot wrong. It is the first time she ever caddied. I just cannot thank Keri enough," said the native of Hexham, a market town in northeastern England.

"I still cannot believe I have won the SA Open. Going head to head with Branden this afternoon was tough.

"Honestly, I did not think I was capable of playing that well and finishing top of the leaderboard."

Grace trailed Paisley by one shot entering the final round, but was expected to triumph given his far higher world ranking of 30, much greater experience and huge home support.

Within two holes, eight-time European Tour champion Grace nudged ahead thanks to an eagle three, and many in the gallery believed Paisley would quickly crack under the pressure.

But the Englishman ranked 289 in the world held his nerve and moved into a two-shot lead after the sixth, which the 29-year-old South African double-bogeyed.

By the turn, Paisley had stretched his advantage to three shots and never looked like faltering on the back nine in stamina-sapping heat.

He did find a bunker at 15, but got down in two, effectively closing the door on any chance Grace had of halting a great English run in the South African Open.

Andy Sullivan won the event in 2015 and Graeme Storm triumphed last year, leaving Paisley to make it three victories in four editions for English golfers.

Paisley, who narrowly avoided being relegated to the Challenge Tour for this year, was ultra steady all week, picking up 24 birdies and conceding only three bogeys.

Highlights of his play included an ability to reach greens in regulation and also to get down in two on the odd occasion he did not achieve that feat.

Seeking a first SA Open title, Grace could not match the last-round consistency of Paisley, claiming two eagles and three birdies, but a double-bogey and a bogey stained his card.

The European Tour moves to the Middle East next week for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and returns to South Africa in March when Pretoria hosts the Tshwane Open.

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Round 3 - Paisley takes solo lead of SA Open

January 13, 2018

Chris Paisley leads by a shot from home favorite Branden Grace going into the final round of the South African Open.

Paisley remained calm in a 2-under 70 in the third round on Saturday to move to 15 under overall and took the outright lead after sharing it with Adrien Saddier overnight.

England's Paisley is in position for his maiden European Tour title but will face a challenge from the in-form Grace on the last day.

Grace won the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in November, and surged into contention at the South African Open with a third-round 66, with seven birdies and just one bogey to go to 14 under.

''I'm sure the crowd is going to be on his side,'' Paisley said. ''I'm just really excited about it.''

Three players are tied for third on 12 under and three shots off the lead. They are Saddier, Chase Koepka and Jacques Blaauw.

Koepka, the younger brother of U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka, put together a 68 on Saturday and is in his first season on the European Tour and also searching for a first victory.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen was tied for fourth after the second round at Glendower Golf Club in Johannesburg but his search for a first win since 2009 took a hit with a 1-over 73 Saturday. Goosen is now tied for 20th.

Round 2 - Paisley and Saddier take 4-shot lead in Johannesburg

January 12, 2018

Chris Paisley and Adrien Saddier opened up a big lead after two rounds of the South African Open on Friday as they moved to 13 under par and four shots clear of their nearest challengers.

England's Paisley hit a 7-under 65 to move up from second overnight. France's Saddier had the round of the day at Glendower Golf Club in Johannesburg, a blistering, course record-equaling 63 with an eagle, seven birdies and no bogeys.

Both Paisley and Saddier are seeking a maiden European Tour title.

Home player Jacques Kruyswijk is alone in second on 9 under, with a group of four players another shot behind him on 8 under and in a tie for fourth.

That group contains overnight leaders Branden Grace and Chase Koepka, Zimbabwe's Scott Vincent, and Retief Goosen, the two-time U.S. Open champion who hasn't won a professional tournament since 2009.

The 48-year-old Goosen began this week with a promising 69 and then carded six birdies and an eagle for his 5-under 67 in the second round. It could have been even better if not for a bogey on No. 13 and a double bogey on the last.

Ernie Els, a five-time winner of the South African Open, made the cut after a 70 moved him to 3 under. Defending champion Graeme Storm missed the cut by a shot, though, thanks mainly to his opening-round 75.

Round 1 - Grace and Koepka take opening lead in SA

January 11, 2018

Branden Grace launched his bid for back-to-back European Tour victories on home soil by firing a lead-sharing 65 in the South African Open at Glendower Golf Club near Johannesburg Thursday.

The 29-year-old eight-time winner on the circuit won the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City two months ago, his last appearance on the Tour.

Grace, who is ranked 30 in the world, shares first place at seven under with American Chase Koepka, a brother of reigning US Open champion Brooks, who lies 306 places lower on the merit ladder.

They lead by one stroke from Chris Paisley of England after a day that brought relief to officials as predicted seasonal electrical storms did not arrive.

Of the five former Major winners in the field, South Africans Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel did best with 69s.

Compatriot Ernie Els fired a 71, Canadian Mike Weir a 73 and Trevor Immelman of South Africa a 79 over the par-72, 6,942-metre/7,594-yard track.

Defending champion Graeme Storm of England, who pipped golf superstar Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland in a play-off last year to win the second oldest national championship after the British Open, carded a 75.

Grace, a South African, had a haywire front nine that included two eagles, two birdies and two bogeys.

A far more settled back nine produced a birdie and another eagle, a record third for Grace during a European Tour round.

"I was a little bit rusty with some of the wedge shots and things like that, but all in all very pleased with the outcome," said Grace.

"I think I pretty much got the most out of that round. It is a great start to the year. On all the par-fives, I hit great tee shots."

Koepka matched Grace with halves of 32 and 33 as he recovered from bogeying the first hole of each nine.

The American eagled the second, then birdied three of four holes from the fifth and four of five from the 12th.

"I eagled the second and kind of kept it going from there. I just stayed patient after that first hole setback," he said.

Paisley, the clubhouse leader for much of an opening round played in warm, partly cloudy conditions, birdied seven holes and bogeyed one.

Four consecutive birdies from the 10th lifted Schwartzel's round, while the card of four-time Major winner Els was stained by successive bogeys at par fours.

Weir, whose 2003 US Masters triumph was the first by a Canadian and a left-hander, finished one over after a double-bogey six at 12.

Another former Masters champion, Immelman, who has been struggling for a while, bogeyed five holes before a double-bogey on 18 completed a round to forget.

Jamie Donaldson of Wales scored the first hole in one of the tournament at 14 with a nine iron during a round of 70.

Scores