Golf: Grace beats idols for second successive win

Golf: Grace beats idols for second successive win
Updated on

Summary Branden Grace beat Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a playoff to win the Volvo Golf Champions.

South Africas Branden Grace held off the challenge of two of his countrys greatest players to win the Volvo Golf Champions tournament in a sudden death play-off at The Links at Fancourt on Sunday.Grace, 23, tied with former Major winners Ernie Els and Retief Goosen on 12-under-par 280 over the demanding par-73, 6,652-metre artificial links, then made a two-putt birdie on the par-five 18th, the first play-off hole, while Els and Goosen could only make par.Its just awesome to beat two of my idols in a play-off, he said.Now I know that I have done it before and I can do it again.It was Graces second successive European Tour win after he qualified for the champions only event by winning last weeks Joburg Open.His 350,000 euros first prize took his earnings in two weeks to 556,050 euros and made him a runaway leader of the Tours Race to Dubai.Having been 258th on the world rankings before last weeks win, he is assured of being in the top 100 when the rankings are updated this week.He doesnt plan to stop. He will play in the three-tournament Middle East swing starting with the Abu Dhabi championship from Thursday.Hopefully it doesnt stop, he said. Im running with the emotion and Ill keep playing until Im exhausted or until I find that its time to take a break. He said his next goal was to reach the top 50 in the rankings.
Browse Topics