Nedbank Golf Challenge – Day four digest

Everything you need to know from Sunday at the 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Tommy Fleetwood shed tears after retaining his title, Ryan Fox closed the gap on Rory McIlroy in the season-long rankings and Sebastian Söderberg climbed the leaderboard to seal a debut season-ending Dubai visit on the final day in Sun City.

Here is everything you need to know from Sunday at Gary Player Country Club.

Fleetwood returns to winner’s circle

Three years on from his previous DP World Tour victory at the very same event, Tommy Fleetwood defended his title after pipping Ryan Fox following a thrilling battle down the stretch. The Englishman carded a final-round 67 to reach 11 under, finishing one shot better off than the New Zealander at the end of a day that was disrupted by a three-hour delay due to a storm warning. Beginning the final day with a three-shot deficit, the 31-year-old made a hole-out eagle from a bunker, four birdies and a bogey to emulate the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Price and Ernie Els to have gone back-to-back in Sun City. And yet it could have been so different as Fleetwood admitted he almost pulled out on Thursday due to sickness. “The doctor here has been amazing,” he said. “I just gave his little son the winning golf ball. Without him there was not a chance on Thursday I'd have played.” The victory is his sixth on the DP World Tour and catapults him up nine places to fourth on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, ahead of this week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship. “One of my biggest goals for a while has been to win with my whole family here,” added an emotional Fleetwood, whose mother died in July. “Frankie (his son) is always saying I never win anything and brings medals home from school for me. I’ve wanted to win with them here for such a long time – they come, and they disappear, they are at the airport. The kids have exams tomorrow so have to get to school.”

Consolation for Fox as he takes a big chunk out of McIlroy’s rankings lead

Fine margins. A closing bogey meant Fox narrowly missed out on his third DP World Tour title of the season, which would have seen him overtake World Number One Rory McIlroy at the top of the DP World Rankings in Partnership with Rolex. Prior to that solitary blemish he had been flawless, finishing the day with a four-under 68 to end on ten under. But after three finishes outside the top 50 on his previous visits to the Gary Player Country Club, Fox was taking the positives as he cut the deficit to McIlroy to less than 130 DP World Tour points. “I could have done a little bit better, but if you had given me second and closing the gap by a decent amount on Rory at the start of the week, I would have taken it,” he said ahead of the season finale in Dubai. “Still got some work to do – he’s the number one player in the world for a reason. Just go out, try to beat the golf course and see what happens. Looking forward to it being in my hands a bit going into next week.” Whatever happens in Dubai, Fox, who has registered victories in Ras al Khaimah and Scotland in 2022, will be able to reflect on a career-best year.

Söderberg books ticket to Dubai 

Sebastian Söderberg entered the week 56th on the DP World Tour Rankings, needing a good result to be sure of being in the top 50 available players for the DP World Tour Championship field. The Swede began the final round seven shots off the lead but produced a five-under 67, featuring an eagle and four birdies, to finish at seven under and in a share of fifth place. That impressive closing round enabled the 32-year-old to climb 15 places to 41st on the year-long rankings. His reward is a debut appearance at the DP World Tour Championship, which was a long-held objective for the 2019 Omega European Masters winner.

Disappointment for Detry

Belgian Thomas Detry began the day in a share of the overnight lead and in position to climb comfortably inside the top 50 on the DP World Tour Rankings. But he fell out of contention after the resumption of play due to the weather delay and finished in a share of 13th on the leaderboard. That result lifted him to 54th on the season-long rankings, which saw him miss out on the DP World Tour Championship field by one spot. One consolation is that he still managed to move up one place on the World Points List and into the second automatic qualifying place as the race to make Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup side continues.

Sometimes it’s just meant to be your day

Fleetwood will likely reflect on some moments of fortune that proved crucial on his way to victory. 

First, he saw an overhit approach at the first cannon back off a grandstand to within ten feet of the pin.

Second, an errant tee shot at the eighth hole was hooking into a bush before a favourable bounce saw it stay inside the ropes.

Finally, faced with a tricky bunker shot at the 14th, he produced a moment of brilliance to hole out for an eagle that proved instrumental in finishing the week as champion.