If winning a DP World Tour tournament is a herculean task, how would you rate someone who strings together two consecutive victories on the European Circuit? Well, yes, this Sunday Dean Burmester (-11) chained his second consecutive victory: he lifted the Joburg Open trophy a week ago and now he has achieved his most precious treasure, the South African Open. He did it by bombing at the Blair Atholl Golf in Johannesburg, the longest course in the history of the Tour, a test for the bombers of the tour, for specialists like Burmester, who chained his second joy and, incidentally, also for LIV Golf.
The golfer born in Zimbabwe has given a double joy to the Saudi tour, to which another bombshell must be added: the victory of Joaco Niemann in the Australian Open. The troop of rebels doing a double in the DP World Tour…
Never has a Spaniard sung bingo in the South African and Australian Opens. And so it remains after the two centenary tournaments were held. However, Álex del Rey (-7), another high-flying hitter, set to work to seek the feat although he certainly had it very uphill. The Madrid-born, who climbed 14 positions to finish tied fifth, became the leader in the clubhouse but with many rivals yet to finish the final round and finally stayed on the verge of the podium. And that he started with a puncture in the 1 but then hooked five birdies (2, 5, 13, 16 and 18) to rise like foam in the table to that fifth position, along with Matteo Manassero, Frederic Lacroix and the locals Jayden Schaper and Louis de Jager. Santi Tarrio (+12), on the other hand, had a Sunday to forget with ten over par (three double bogeys, one double bogey, four bogeys and one birdie) and finished 71st.

But let’s go back to Burmester and his feat at home. We warned on Saturday about the pressure that the veteran golfer, who now has four victories on the Tour (Tshwane Open 2017, Tenerife Open 2021 and Joburg Open 2023), could exert on the two youngsters who shared the lead after 54 holes: Ryan van Velzen (-8), tied for second, and Schaper (-7). Both played over par the final round although they took a good lesson for the future and, in addition, both birdies to close the event.
Dean Burmester extends his lead to two strokes with a birdie at 16.#InvestecSAOpen pic.twitter.com/Q81a2arDa5
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 3, 2023
Burmester, the only one who finished the tournament in double digits, took out his rifle on the 16th (the hardest hole on the course) and on the 17th to seal the South African Open. In the first he hit a great drive and then an iron to secure the birdie and on the par 3 he left the ball half a meter from the hole after sending it to the clouds. C’est fini. The South African was so high that he looked for the 18th green in two and almost made a big mess, but the champion’s luck caused his ball not to get wet when it hit a rock and saved par.
Before, Jesper Svensson (-8) did waste the fortune of not falling into the water on the final flag and did not even achieve the birdie. Renato Paratore (-8), second with Svensson and Van Velzen, brushed an eagle that would have put some pressure on Burmester. Or maybe not, given his degree of confidence.
Thriston Lawrence (-6), who gave away the Joburg Open precisely to the winner of the South African Open a week ago, moved up to the top ten after signing the best round of the day with six under.
Burmester, who sneaks into the top 80 in the world after these two consecutive victories, matched Englishman Andy Sullivan, who also did the double in 2015 by stringing together the Joburg Open and the Australian Open. At LIV Golf they are thrilled with this start of theirs on the DP World Tour. Now comes the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, where Burmester will also play…