Golf

Marc Leishman cruises to huge paycheck at Nedbank Challenge

The Australian streaked clear of the field on the back nine to win by six shots

Marc Leishman watches his second shot on the 2nd hole during the final round on day four of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC in Sun City, South Africa. Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Marc Leishman watches his second shot on the 2nd hole during the final round on day four of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC in Sun City, South Africa. Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Sun Dec 06 2015 - 15:09

Australia’s Marc Leishman cruised to victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City to claim his first European Tour title and complete an Australian double.

Following compatriot Nathan Holman's win in the Australian PGA Championship earlier in the day, Leishman carded a closing 67 at Sun City to finish 19 under par, six shots clear of Henrik Stenson.

England's Chris Wood was a distant third on nine under with defending champion Danny Willett, Victor Dubuisson, Robert Streb and Branden Grace joint fourth on eight under.

For Shane Lowry it was a disappointing 75 to finish towards the foot of the leaderboard in tied-25th at two over par.

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Leishman began the day with a one-shot lead and found himself three ahead when he birdied the seventh and playing partner Stenson bogeyed the same hole after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

World number seven Stenson bounced back with a birdie from 15 feet on the eighth and both players two-putted the par-five ninth for birdie to give Leishman, who lost a play-off for the Open at St Andrews in July, a two-shot lead heading into the back nine.

Leishman and Stenson also two-putted the par-five 10th for birdie before Leishman extended his lead thanks to a superb approach to the 13th which span back to within inches of the hole.

Stenson saved par from over the green to keep his hopes of a second title alive, but the 2008 champion could not repeat the feat after a wayward drive on the 15th, where another birdie from Leishman took the 32-year-old five clear.

Leishman, who defeated world number one Jordan Spieth in the singles in the Presidents Cup in October, moved further ahead with a birdie on the 16th and although Stenson chipped in on the next, the result — and destination of the first prize of €1.15 million — was never in doubt.