Jayden Schaper secures his first DP World Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship with a playoff eagle over Shaun Norris. Joel Girrbach finishes inside the top 15.
Jayden Schaper claimed his maiden DP World Tour victory at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, edging out fellow South African Shaun Norris in a dramatic playoff. The tournament, shortened to 54 holes due to flooding that halted play on Saturday, concluded with Schaper finishing at 16-under-par. Marcel Schneider and Joel Girrbach also had strong showings, with Girrbach finishing T13 and Schneider T23 at 9-under. Marcel Siem wrapped up the event at T56.
DP World Tour: Schaper clinches first title with playoff eagle
It was a dream come true for Jayden Schaper on home soil. The 24-year-old South African emerged victorious in a nail-biting finish at Leopard Creek. Shaun Norris had set the pace with a blistering 8-under final round, holding the lead late into the day. Schaper, however, delivered a clutch performance on the back nine. After an up-and-down front nine, where birdies on holes 1 and 8 were offset by bogeys on the following holes, he turned at even par. On the back nine, he found his rhythm, carding birdies on 14, 16, and 17 to tie Norris. He narrowly missed a winning putt on 18, forcing a playoff. There, Schaper sealed the win in style, holing a long eagle putt from the fringe to capture his first career title.
Girrbach finishes T13, Schneider just outside top 20
Joel Girrbach enjoyed a strong week in South Africa, rebounding from a slow season start. After solid rounds on Thursday and Friday, he entered the weekend inside the top 10. Despite an early tee time due to weather delays, he stayed composed, opening with a birdie on hole 1 and adding another on 7. A bogey on 11 was quickly erased with a birdie on 12, but a costly double bogey on the par-3 16th knocked him back. He closed with a birdie to finish the round at -1 and the tournament at 10-under-par.
Marcel Schneider also delivered a steady performance. He birdied the first hole but gave it back with a bogey on 2. Another birdie on 7 helped him to -1 on the front nine. The back nine started shakily with bogeys on 10 and 12, but he bounced back with birdies on 13 and 14, finishing at 9-under for T23. Marcel Siem ended the final day at 1-under, but a poor second round left him at 4-under overall and T56.