Flying Fleetwood secures brilliant Nedbank title via playoff

The Englishman looked way off the pace at the start of the final round, but roared into contention with a brilliant showing.

Tommy Fleetwood of England in action during a practice round ahead of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player at Gary Player CC on November 13, 2019 in Sun City, South Africa. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Tommy Fleetwood made three eagles before winning a sudden death play-off in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday.

The Englishman fired a final round of seven-under-par 65 to finish tied on a 12-under total of 276 with Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, who shot 68.

Fleetwood made a par on the first extra hole to win $2.5 million — the biggest first prize in the history of the European Tour -– after starting the final round six behind overnight leader Zander Lombard.

It was the biggest comeback win of the season and lifted Fleetwood into second place on the Race to Dubai, which ends with the Tour championship in Dubai, starting on Thursday.

Fleetwood and Kinhult pulled away from what at one stage was a crowded leaderboard as other contenders fell away in a swirling wind which added to the difficulty of the longest course on the European Tour.

Race to Dubai order of merit leader Bernd Wiesberger of Austria tied for third with Australia’s Jason Scrivener and Thomas Detry of Belgium, four strokes behind the leaders.

Wiesberger and Scrivener both shot 70, while Detry, who started the round one behind Lombard, had a 74.

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