Charl Schwartzel cruises to six shot victory

Charl Schwartzel won his second consecutive European Tour event with a six-stroke victory in the Joburg Open on Sunday.

The South African was never threatened on the final day of the tournament at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

He shot a final-round 66 on the East Course to finish the event on 23-under-par 261, six clear of second-placed fellow South African Keith Horne and Briton Darren Clarke.

Schwartzel dropped only three shots all week: a bogey at the third on Sunday and a double-bogey at the West Course’s 12th on Thursday.

The win cements his place at the top of the Race to Dubai standings after four events on the 2010 European Tour.

Schwartzel, who won last week’s Africa Open, started the day with a four-stroke lead over Northern Irishman Clarke and made the turn four clear with his score at 19 under par.

The 25-year-old delivered a knockout blow at the tenth hole, where he sank a birdie putt to reach 20 under par and move five ahead. A birdie at the par-four 14th put him six clear.

Clarke did well to stay on level par early on Sunday after some wayward hitting. He briefly got within two of Schwartzel when he birdied the fourth but some bad putts from close range robbed him of any momentum.

A chip-in for eagle at the par-five 18th, however, ensured Clarke ended in a share of second place.

Horne’s seven-under-par 64, which included birdies at the final two holes, put him into joint second after he had started the day at 10 under.

South African James Kamte and England’s Danny Willett finished tied for fourth at 14 under par.

Sunday was the first day of the tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and South Africa’s Sunshine Tour, not to be interrupted by thunderstorms.

Scores