Spain’s Jorge Campillo followed in the footsteps of countryman Seve Ballesteros by winning the 2023 Magical Kenya Open Presented by Absa.
A five-under-par final round of 66 took Campillo to 18 under for the week and earned a two-stroke victory over Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura.
Their respective compatriots Santiago Tarrio and Ryo Hisatsune shared third on 15 under par.
Campillo had finished with four straight birdies on Saturday and a similar run – four in five - on Sunday’s front nine kept him in control of the tournament, the highlight a pitch to five feet at the seventh.
Another gain at the tenth was given straight back on the 11th but a succession of pars kept him out in front, a fine approach to within ten feet at the 16th keeping the run going and helping hold off the challenge of Kawamura.
Hisatsune set the early clubhouse target at 15 under, narrowly missing out on a closing eagle that would have taken him within one of Campillo, who again put himself in prime position on the 17th green.
A birdie there, with Kawamura missing his attempt, gave him a three-shot lead going up the last and the opportunity to knock a routine iron and pair of wedges into the heart of the green, a two-putt par sealing his third DP World Tour win and ending a three-year wait since his victory at the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
A tap-in to secure your third Tour title 🙌 @jcampillogolf | #MagicalKenyaOpen pic.twitter.com/IOstjs5Fov
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 12, 2023
Ballesteros won this event in 1978, with Campillo the fourth Spanish winner after José María Cañizares and Jordi Garcia Pinto in 1984 and 2013 respectively.
He said: “It’s hard to put my name under those names. Where I am from, the little town, I am very proud.
“Obviously it’s always nice to win a golf tournament but to put my name on the same trophy as Seve is obviously more special for a Spaniard.
“We will (celebrate) when I get back. I will try to enjoy the moment now, sign the scorecard and just get ready for the next tournament.
“You know how golf is, you win now and then the next day you are not that good any more.”
Kawamura made three successive birdies on the front nine and set up a final push with one at the 15th, but was unable to capitalise on half-chances at the next two holes before a closing birdie took him second outright.
Tarrio shrugged off a bogey at the eighth with four birdies on an unblemished back nine for a closing 66.
Hisatsune’s final round was one stroke better after a birdie-birdie finish for the third day in succession.
Lukas Nemecz and Borja Virto shared fifth place on 14 under, with Robert MacIntyre in a group a shot further back after he could only manage a closing 70 while playing in the final group with Campillo and Kawamura.
Ashley Chesters eagled the final hole to lift himself seven places into a share of seventh with MacIntyre, Jayden Schaper and Julien Brun.
