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Burmester secures back-to-back wins in South Africa
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Burmester secures back-to-back wins in South Africa

Dean Burmester made it back-to-back DP World Tour victories on home soil after producing a stunning 68 on Sunday to win the Investec South African Open Championship by three shots.

The South African went into the final round two shots off the lead but battled his way to the top of the leaderboard after making three birdies and a single bogey in tricky scoring conditions on the front nine.

Burmester, who won last week's Joburg Open by three shots, dropped another shot after missing the green on the par-three 11th but bounced back with gains on the 12th, 16th and 17th to move three clear with one hole remaining.

And he survived a scare at the 18th to card a par there and finish on 11 under par, making an immediate return to the winner's circle by winning his home Open for the first time and claiming a fourth DP World Tour title.

Home favourite Ryan van Velzen, Italian Renato Paratore and Swede Jesper Svensson finished in a tie for second on eight under.

Burmester had looked in danger of missing the cut or even pulling out after feeling unwell on Friday, but made it through to the weekend on the number after shooting a 74.

And he took full advantage with a 65 on Saturday before keeping his foot on the gas in the final round to clinch the title.

He said: "Back-to-back! I've never done that before so that was special.

"It's obviously one as a South African that I've always wanted to win.

"To be involved in this tournament and to win it, with a bank that used to sponsor me and got me off the ground when I was just a kid, is super special.

"So to be the SA Open champion is something I'll never forget.

"It's a tournament I watched growing up and I watched a lot of legends."

Burmester's second victory in as many weeks came in front of his family, and he said at the trophy presentation: "Last week I won and my family wasn't there.

"This week I won and my wife and my two kids were there. So it means everything, just to have my two boys there seeing me out front, living out my dream - that's everything so I'm very thankful."

Burmester made the perfect start on day four, birdieing the first to get to eight under before taking advantage of the front nine's other par five - the fifth.

He dropped a shot at the short sixth but made a bounce-back birdie from 40 feet on the seventh to lead by one shot.

The 34-year-old gave himself an outside eagle chance at the long tenth after sending his approach to around 35 feet, but had to settle for a par there after three-putting.

He would then bogey the short 11th after clearing the green with his tee-shot to slip into a five-way tie for first place.

But he drained his lengthy birdie putt on the 12th to return to nine under before producing an important par save following a roller-coaster ride at the par-five 13th.

Burmester sent his approach to around ten feet at the 16th and holed the putt to move two strokes clear.

He then launched his tee-shot on the 17th to six feet and rolled in the putt for his second successive birdie.

Heading to the 18th tee with a three-shot lead, Burmester looked in complete control until his second shot down the last - from the rough - hit the rocks surrounding the green and bounced backwards.

He got a lucky break, though, as his ball landed in a nice spot - and he managed to escape with a par to close out a comfortable win.

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