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Schwartzel comeback wins Africa Open title

EAST LONDON, South Africa, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- South Africa's Charl Schwartzel, despite an 18th-hole bogey, came from behind Sunday and won the European PGA Tour's Africa Open in his native country.

Schwartzel shot a 6-under-par 67 in the final round, which gave him a 72-hole score of 20-under 272. Thomas Aiken, tied with Trevor Fisher Jr. for the lead going into the final round, shot 3-under 70 and would up at 19-under for the tournament and alone in second place.

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Jbe' Kruger, who also shot 70 on Sunday, finished third at 18-under and Fisher, who had led after each of the first three rounds, sagged to a 1-under 72 and tied for fourth. Still, the finish is sure to boost Fisher's No. 707 world ranking. All four players are South Africans.

Schwartzel, in third at the start of the final round, had birdies on the first four odd-numbered holes and was 4-under through seven holes. He added a birdie at No. 11 and was clear of the field after back-to-back birdies at Nos. 14 and 15.

But on 18 he pushed his drive to the ninth tee and needed four shots to get on the final green. He putted for bogey.

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Aiken had a double-bogey 6 at the fifth hole but, after he also birdied Nos. 14 and 15, couldn't get the final stroke to catch Schwartzel.

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