Golf

Danny Willett secures Nedbank Challenge Cup in South Africa

Shane Lowry finished 16 places of the pace after a final round of 71

Danny Willett of England plays into the first green during the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Danny Willett of England plays into the first green during the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Sun Dec 07 2014 - 15:22

Danny Willett landed six birdies and the biggest win of his career as he claimed the $1.25 million first prize at the Nedbank Challenge following a faultless final round at Sun City on Sunday.

It is a second European Tour victory for the 27-year-old Englishman, who showed no sign of nerves to produce a final round 66, the best score of the day, for a tournament total of 18 under par and a four-shot win over compatriot Ross Fisher.

Lowry

After a final round score of 71 for Irish man Shane Lowry, bringing his end-of-tournament score to 2 under par, he has once more consolidated his position in the world top 50 going into the season's end.

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He shot two eagles during Sunday’s final round, one off the second and the other off the 14th hole. Yet despite two additional birdies he hit three bogeys and a double-bogey on the eight, finishing up in eleventh place.

English trio

Willett and Fisher were part of an English trio that also included overnight leader Luke Donald, celebrating his 37th birthday, as the only realistic winners on Sunday.

Fisher, the leader after the first round, ended his tournament with a 68, equalling the second-best round of the day, but three bogeys in the first 10 holes saw Donald slip to third as he carded 73 to finish 12 under.

A happy wife

“Words can’t describe it,” Willett said at the presentation. “You hope that when you win you have a bit of breathing space coming to the last. I’ve only won one before and it was a five-hole play-off so it was a bit more nerve-wracking.”

“We stuck to our game-plan, we said we were going to go aggressive and see if we could shoot another low score and put it out of reach for the other players. Luckily we did and it was a really good win.”

If Willet did have any nerves, he did not show it as he built momentum with three birdies in his first five holes that opened up a four-shot lead that he never relinquished. While Fisher and Donald battled with the course at times, Willett never looked troubled and three further birdies on the back nine cemented his win.

After his first European Tour victory at the BMW International Open in 2012, Willett proposed to his now wife Nicole. Asked how he would top that, the Sheffield-born player said: “I don’t know ... she can take a dive into this cheque!”