Dan Bradbury wins Joburg Open after sponsor’s invite, world No. 1397 earns spot at 2023 Open Championship

Dan Bradbury had the week of his young golfing life in South Africa, as victory at the Joburg Open shifted him from having no status on the DP World Tour to suddenly being in possession of a two-year exemption and a spot at next year’s Open Championship.

The 23-year-old only got a place in the field at Houghton Golf Club thanks to a sponsor’s invite, which was some feat given his ranking of 1397 in the world and having only made two previous appearances on the DP World Tour.

He missed the cut on his elite-level debut, but showed promise when securing a tied-13th finish at the Open de Espana.

But that did not offer a hint of what was to come in Johannesburg, as he went wire-to-wire to secure a life-changing victory by an impressive three shots from Sami Valimaki.

“It won’t sink in for a few days,” Bradbury said. “I was a bit worried down 15 when he [Valimaki] rolled that monster in, but it has been the same thing all week – just keep playing my own game.

“It is unbelievable, I still don’t believe it now.”

Final Leaderboard

• 1. Dan Bradbury, 21-under
• 2. Sami Valimaki, 18-under
• T3. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 17-under
• T3. Daniel van Tonder, 17-under
• 5. Louis de Jager, 15-under
• T6. Dale Whitnell, 13-under
• T6. Heinrich Bruiners, 13-under
• T6. JJ Senekal, 13-under

As well as the prize fund, ranking points and exemption, the event offered automatic qualification to the Open Championship for those not already exempt.

Bradbury, whose invite was only confirmed last Friday, can now dream of teeing it up at Hoylake in July. A certain Rory McIlroy secured victory the last time it was at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

The Englishman began the final round with a one-shot lead. If nerves were an issue after sleeping on an overnight lead, he did not show it as a fine drive on the first was followed by a superb approach to three feet that set up a birdie.

Further birdies followed at three and nine, while Bradbury chipped in for par on six, which enabled him to turn with a three-stroke advantage over closest challenger Valimaki.

Commenting on the chip-in on six, Bradbury said: “It was my first real bad swing all week off the tee, got myself in trouble. To get out of there with a par was massive.”

The inward nine boiled down to a duel between Valimaki and Bradbury.

A birdie on 13 extended Bradbury’s lead to four shots, but the Finn cut into the advantage with birdies on 14 and 15.

Standing on the intimidating 16th tee with a two-shot lead, the pressure was on Bradbury. You would not have known it as a pure strike was followed by a twirl of the club as the ball landed 12 feet from the hole.

Valimaki had the chance to put pressure on Bradbury by putting first for birdie on 16, but his effort slid by on the low side and the leader stuffed it in the middle of the cup to extend his lead to three.

Bradbury navigated the tricky 17th without alarm, leaving him with a three-shot lead on the 18th tee. Players have thrown away such advantages before; Jean Van de Velde in the 1999 Open at Carnoustie springs to mind.

The mind may have been racing, but Bradbury and his caddie had their heads screwed on as he pulled an iron out of the bag to take trouble out of play. He found the fairway and puffed out the cheeks.

The approach to the green was never anywhere else other than the middle of the green, and Bradbury enjoyed the walk up the fairway on his way to a career-changing victory.