Dan Bradbury wins Joburg Open for the second time with a tough par save at the end

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Dan Bradbury of England hit the perfect chip at just the right time, saving par on the final hole Sunday for a 5-under 65 and a one-shot victory in the Joburg Open.

His clutch par on the 18th hole at Houghton Golf Club denied Casey Jarvis of South Africa a chance to join Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros as the only players in European tour history to win three consecutive tournaments.

Brandon Robinson Thompson was tied for the lead, playing one group ahead of Bradbury, when he three-putted the 18th green from about 45 feet for a bogey that gave him a 66.

Bradbury won the Joburg Open in the fall of 2022 for his first European tour victory. The Englishman, who finished his college career at Florida State, also won the French Open in 2024.

“I thought I’d lost it on the front nine. I had so many chances and didn’t take them,” said Bradbury, who started the final round two shots behind Hennie Du Plessis. “It feels really good to put it together. I somehow managed to get it done at the end.”

Jarvis was coming off wins at the Kenya Open and the South African Open — the latter earned him spots in the Masters and British Open. He was one shot behind when he hit a superb approach on the par-4 18th that just cleared a ridge and rolled down to 7 feet.

But he pulled his birdie putt and knew it immediately, walking to the hole. He shot 66.

That left it to Bradbury, whose approach bounded over the green into the rough. He chipped it over a slight hill and it rolled with perfect pace toward the cup, stopping a few inches short for his par and the victory.

Du Plessis was in control after a 31 on the front nine, only to lose his way on the back nine with a pair of bogeys and a double bogey on the par-3 15th that took him out of contention. He closed with a 70 and finished fourth.

The tournament was co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf