The duo was tied on 18-under par 270 after 72 holes of normal play after the champion led for most of the day and he managed to hold his nerve following an unbelievable McIIroy missed drive during the third extra trip up the 18th.
Rory McIlroy to play in SA Open
“I’m in shock, I don’t know what to say,” said the 38-year-old champion following his victory. “This has been a surreal week, to find myself in the position I was in going into the final day playing probably the best player in the world right now…it’s just a dream come true.”
Storm began the day with a three-stroke advantage over the beloved Northern Irishman but the world number two picked up a gear with two birdies in the first two holes to quickly close the deficit to one. Storm hit back with a birdie of his own on three but McIIroy wouldn’t go away.
The supposed inevitable seemed to be coming to reality as McIlroy birdied 13, Storm bogeyed 14 and the duo traded birdies on 16. Neck-and-neck on 16, and it seemed that McIlroy would pull away after being ahead by one with two to play.
However, Storm levelled matters again on 17 following a McIlroy slip-up to set up a nail-biting finish for the healthy crowd on sight – which included the Springboks.
When the third play-off hole came around, either player could ill-afford to make a mistake as it became clear that the slightest margin of error was going to be the difference between winner and runner-up.
McIlroy was in trouble when he pushed his drive far right, and a tree branch compromised his swing causing him to come up short and left of the green. Meanwhile Storm’s birdie putt grazed the hole; McIlroy’s chip was a little over a metre past the hole before he desperately, and to an extent, unbelievably missed his return putt – leaving Storm in the ascendency. The latter made no mistake and his tap-in par crowned him champion.
SA Open winners and runners-up in the last three years:
2017 – Graeme Storm (England); Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
2016 – Brandon Stone (SA); Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA)
2015 – And Sullivan (England); Charl Schwartzel (SA) – @SabeloBoksburg
