Amazing Grace sees off heroes

SOUTH AFRICAN Branden Grace yesterday became the first player since Fred Couples in 1995 to follow his first European Tour win with another.

Grace, a Q School graduate, beat two of his golfing heroes in Ernie Els and Retief Goosen with a birdie on the first extra hole to secure the winners-only Volvo Golf Champions title on their home soil at Fancourt.

The 23-year-old had made it into the 35-man field by capturing last week’s Joburg Open and this time he recovered from missing a putt of under five feet on the final green.

Els shot a joint best-of-the-day 67 to set the clubhouse target of 12 under par, matched by Goosen who birdied three of the last four for a 70.

The circuit now moves on to its Middle East swing.

Race to Dubai money list after three events:

1 B Grace (Rsa) €570,000, 2 R Goosen (Rsa) €264,510, 3 L Oosthuizen (Rsa) €223,500, 4 E Els (Rsa) €177,500, 5 J Elson (Eng) €153,020, 6 T van der Walt (Rsa) €115,000, 7 N Colsaerts (Bel) €110,000, 8 J Van Zyl (Rsa) €103,072, 9 C Schwartzel (Rsa) €93,000, 10 J M Olazabal (Spa) €80,000.Best Irish: 20 P Harrington €47,050, 32 D Clarke €32,150, 49 M Hoey €23,400.