DURBAN, South Africa, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- South African qualifier Tim Clark fired a 7-under-par 65 on Sunday to win his first European Tour title at the South African Open.
Clark, 26, carded eight birdies for a 72-hole total o 19-under 269 and a two-shot victory over England's Steve Webster, the midlander who equaled the lowest round of the week with a 64 for his fourth second-place finish on tour.
England's Jonathan Lomas and South African James Kingston shared third place at 275, with Wales' David Park, Scotland's Alastair Forsyth, Yorkshire's Simon Dyson and European No. 1 Retief Goosen of South Africa at 276.
Clark, who will play the PGA Tour this year on a medical exemption after a wrist injury limited him to just three events in 2001, began the final round two shots clear of Lomas and playing partner Goosen.
Goosen, the U.S. Open champion, expected to pose the biggest threat, but it was Webster who made the early move, holing from 15 feet for an eagle on the third.
Clark nonetheless always looked in control with birdies on the second, third, seventh and eighth. Another on the 10th stretched his lead to three shots, but Webster picked up his fifth birdie of the day on the 13th, seconds before Clark dropped his only shot of the day at the 11th.
The gap was down to one, but that was the closest Webster got as Clark responded with birdies on the 12th, 14th and 15th to seal victory and a two-year exemption.
