• Volvo Golf Champions, Round Four

Grace holds nerve to win second title on the bounce

Branden Grace shows off his trophy © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Clarke ready to win again after Open whirlwind
  
• News: Colsaerts & Grace under fire from big names
  
• News: Grace four clear in bid for back-to-back wins
  
• News: Red-hot Colsaerts sets strong early pace
  
• Profile: Branden Grace

Leaderboard

Branden Grace claimed his second consecutive European Tour title with a thrilling play-off victory at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa.

Grace, who won at the Joburg Open last week, made birdie on the first extra hole to beat fellow South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen to become the first player since Fred Couples in 1995 to follow his first European Tour triumph with another.

Els set the clubhouse target of 12-under-par with a joint best-of-the-day 67, while Grace made the three-way play-off with a 71. Goosen, who has 14 European Tour crowns to his name, hit a three-under 70 to join his compatriots in the ensuing finale.

At the first extra hole - the 18th - Els fired to within 15 feet in three but could not drain his birdie attempt. Goosen also hit par, with Grace tapping in for birdie to seal his second victory in two weeks.

"I'm really ecstatic," Grace said. "It's a dream come true to win such a big event - pretty much the best tournament I've played in so far."

Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, 596th in the world rankings, shared the lead for a short time on Sunday before his final round began to unravel. The Spaniard hit two birdies on his opening two holes to give himself hope of ending a seven-year wait for a win, but his bid for glory soon went off track.

Two bogeys cancelled out his earlier good work and, although he picked up another shot before the turn, another poor hole at the 11th highlighted the inconsistencies in his game that would ultimately prevent him from mounting a sustainable challenge. He eventually signed for a level-par 73, finishing the tournament on eight-under-par.

Reigning Masters champion Charl Schwartzel failed to build on his promising overnight position, the South African leaving himself with too much to do following a double-bogey six at the par-four 12th. An eagle and back-to-back birdies helped to repair the damage but, as he went for broke, his high-risk strategy meant errors were always a possibility and they became a reality at the 17th when another bogey all but ended his charge; a one-under 72 putting him on 10-under.

Padraig Harrington signed for a three-over 76 to end a week that had a lot of positives on a low. The Irishman's game threatened to completely collapse as three bogeys sent him plummeting down the leaderboard before he had even completed the front nine. A birdie immediately before the turn arrested the slump, but his respite proved brief as a double-bogey five holes from home eroded his confidence further. A late rally - if you can call birdie-bogey-birdie a rally - salvaged some pride but he will go away from the tournament harbouring regrets.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.