Sunday 13 November 2016 19:14, UK
Alex Noren's sensational season continued at the Nedbank Golf Challenge as he powered to a six-shot victory to collect his fourth European Tour title in 11 starts.
Noren was in a class of his own on the final day at the Gary Player Country Club, leaving a high-quality field trailing in his wake as he turned a six-stroke overnight deficit into a comprehensive win which also propelled him into the reckoning for the Race to Dubai crown.
The red-hot Swede would have had high hopes of becoming the first player in European Tour history to break 60 when he chipped in for birdie at the 11th to reach nine under for the round.
But his first bogey of the round at the 14th ended his chances of a 59 and, as overnight leader Jeunghun Wang faltered down the stretch, Noren cantered to the finish line to post a winning score of 14 under par.
Noren, who became the first three-time winner of the year at last month's British Masters, supported by Sky Sports, got off to a perfect start as he birdied the opening three holes and picked up three more shots in four holes from the fifth to turn in 30.
There was no let-up on the back nine as he rolled in a 25-foot putt for eagle at the 10th, and he atoned for going long at the next by playing a sublime pitch from the rear rough which found the bottom of the cup to take him three clear at the top of the leaderboard.
The 34-year-old, who feared his career was over just two years ago when he missed most of the 2014 season with a serious wrist injury, blotted his card at 14 when his third kicked into knee-high rough short of the green and he did well to hack out to the rear fringe and two-putt for bogey.
But he got the shot back with another confident putt at the 16th, and two cast-iron pars closed out his eighth professional victory of his career, and his fourth on the European Tour since his golden run started at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in July.
Wang began the final day with a three-stroke advantage following his flawless 64 on Saturday, but he failed to match those heights over the final 18 holes as he struggled to the turn in 36, including an ugly double-bogey six at the eighth after finding a hazard with his drive.
The young South Korean knew his hopes of a third win of the season had gone when he bogeyed the 13th, although he managed to cling onto outright second despite dropping three further shots over the last four holes to card a disappointing 75.
Ryder Cup star Andy Sullivan struggled to get anything going as a mixed-bag of a 72 left him in a share of third on seven under alongside Branden Grace, Alejandro Canizares, Victor Dubuisson and Ricardo Gouveia.
Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson again recovered from a poor front nine with an improved display after the turn, and the Open champion birdied two of the last three holes to salvage a 70 as he closed on six under.
Stenson finished three shots ahead of Danny Willett, the Swede's closest rival for the European No 1 crown, although the Englishman gave himself plenty of encouragement ahead of next week's season finale in Dubai after he followed Saturday's 67 with a five-birdie 69 which lifted him into a tie for 11th.
