Stone smashes rivals to lift second trophy

05 December 2016 - 12:27 By Reuters
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Brandon Stone claimed a second European Tour victory as he ran away from the field for a seven-stroke triumph at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at the Leopard Creek Country Club near Malelane yesterday .

The 23-year-old extended his overnight, three-shot advantage with a last round of 67 to finish the week with an emphatic 22-under-par total of 266 on the opening weekend of the new Tour season.

Four birdies in five holes from 10th strengthened his grip on the leaderboard and moved him even further ahead of the chasing pack as he added a second title to the South African Open title he won in January.

Fellow South African Richard Sterne was second after a final round 67, with Belgian Thomas Detry a further two shots back in third place. The 23-year-old Detry hit a four-under par 68 to confirm the promise he showed in graduating from the challenge tour.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel, seeking to win the same title on the European Tour for the fifth time and join an elite club with Bernard Langer, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, carded a final round 74 and was 10 strokes behind. The former Masters champion did threaten a fightback when he hit three birdies in his opening six holes. But a triple-bogey eight at the 15th ended his chance of snatching a win.

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